Synonyms

false front

American

noun

a façade falsifying the size, finish, or importance of a building, especially one having a humble purpose or cheap construction.
any deceptive appearance.

He hid his great shyness behind a false front of aggressiveness.

Etymology

Origin of false front

An Americanism dating back to 1885–90

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.

The false front is a bit of skullduggery that harks back to a world where conspiracy to escape detection was a part of everyday life.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 27, 2025

But honestly, it felt scarier to me in the beginning of my life not talking about it and just keeping everything inside and then having to put on this sort of false front.

From Salon • Oct. 1, 2023

And his wedge to the 16th didn’t carry the false front and ran 70 feet back to the fairway.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 9, 2023

A CBP officer referred the driver for further inspection, and a CBP canine team found a false front wall in the trailer.

From Washington Times • Nov. 3, 2022

He snatched the camellias from Jean Louise and pinned them to her shoulder, glaring sternly at her false front.

From "Go Set a Watchman: A Novel" by Harper Lee

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023