smoke and mirrors

American  

noun

1. (used with a singular or plural verb) something that distorts or blurs facts, figures, etc., like a magic or conjuring trick; artful deception.

---

smoke and mirrors British  

noun

1. irrelevant or misleading information serving to obscure the truth of a situation

---

Etymology

Origin of smoke and mirrors

First recorded in 1980–85

Example Sentences

But Elaine Wrigley, the owner of Atlas Bar in Manchester, said Reeves' latest Budget was "smoke and mirrors".

From BBC

It’s all smoke and mirrors, sure, but there’s a certain comfort in a life after death where Patrick Swayze can still spin pottery!

From Salon

Gabriel could have come across as a mere cipher in this environment, a faceless spook navigating smoke and mirrors.

From The Wall Street Journal

"Neuralink is currently just smoke and mirrors, with a lot of hype," Herve Chneiweiss, a neurologist and expert in ethics at France's research organisation INSERM, told AFP.

From Barron's

Roberts never had to prepare the smoke and mirrors required to navigate the final third of the game.

From Los Angeles Times