smoke and mirrors
noun
(used with a singular or plural verb) something that distorts or blurs facts, figures, etc., like a magic or conjuring trick; artful deception.
Origin of smoke and mirrors
1First recorded in 1980–85
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use smoke and mirrors in a sentence
This whole thing became much more of a smoke-and mirrors-type race.
British Dictionary definitions for smoke and mirrors
smoke and mirrors
noun
irrelevant or misleading information serving to obscure the truth of a situation
Origin of smoke and mirrors
1C20: reference to the use of smoke and mirrors in conjuring illusions
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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