smoke screen
Americannoun
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a mass of dense smoke produced to conceal an area, vessel, or plane from the enemy.
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something intended to disguise, conceal, or deceive; camouflage.
noun
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military a cloud of smoke produced by artificial means to obscure movements or positions
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something said or done in order to hide the truth
Etymology
Origin of smoke screen
First recorded in 1910–15
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
An adviser to Aksyonov, Oleg Kryuchkov, claimed that “a smoke screen was put up by special services.”
From Washington Times ● Aug. 12, 2023
In this case, the seemingly straightforward phrase “relocate or resign” could be a smoke screen concealing an attempt to shrink workforce numbers without the accompanying negative press that mass layoffs invariably attract.
From Seattle Times ● Aug. 7, 2023
He even aided the team’s public smoke screen regarding his status, telling reporters he was holding out hope of an October return despite already knowing his season was over.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 10, 2022
Prosecuting barrister Gregory Gordon said in his closing submission that Mr Hankinson was offering advice on how to hunt illegally "behind a smoke screen of trail hunting".
From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2021
What was hiding behind the smoke screen of streets and schools?
From "Between the World and Me" by Ta-Nehisi Coates
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
