false front

noun

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

2. any deceptive appearance.

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of false front¹

An Americanism dating back to 1885–90

Example Sentences

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.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

She looks for the truth while hiding behind a false front.

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In one scene, the girls meet up at a bar to chat about their day, but he’s shown us that they’re both putting up a false front.

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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.

Read more on Salon

Winthrop’s old-timey appearance today is a false front, to a degree.

Read more on Seattle Times