smoke screen

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See synonyms for smoke screen on Thesaurus.com

noun

a mass of dense smoke produced to conceal an area, vessel, or plane from the enemy.

something intended to disguise, conceal, or deceive; camouflage.

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of smoke screen

First recorded in 1910–15

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use smoke screen in a sentence

There was no protecting destroyer to lay a friendly smoke screen to shield them from the eyes in the sky.
The Lost Warship|Robert Moore Williams
The smoke screen grew denser and taller, mounting toward the balloons.
The Long Roll|Mary Johnston
The third method—that of rendering the blockships invisible to the battery—would have entailed the use of a smoke screen.
The Blocking of Zeebrugge|Alfred F. B. Carpenter
I thought at the time that this smoke screen was the thickest on record—that opinion was changed later.
The Blocking of Zeebrugge|Alfred F. B. Carpenter

Phoebe, therefore, laid out another protective smoke screen and lowered her boat for the rescue work.
The Blocking of Zeebrugge|Alfred F. B. Carpenter

British Dictionary definitions for smoke screen

smoke screen

noun

military a cloud of smoke produced by artificial means to obscure movements or positions

something said or done in order to hide the truth

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

smoke screen

Origin of smoke screen

Words related to smoke screen

How to use smoke screen in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for smoke screen