smoke screen

noun

1
: a screen of smoke to hinder enemy observation of a military force, area, or activity
2
: something designed to obscure, confuse, or mislead

Examples of smoke screen in a Sentence

His campaign promises were just a smoke screen. The truth was hidden behind a smoke screen of lies.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The concern is that this might be a kind of smoke screen. Lance Eliot, Forbes, 25 Oct. 2024 Any dignified motivations that had once held sway—making art for art’s sake, acting to minimize suffering—became smoke screens to distract others from my selfishness. Manvir Singh, The New Yorker, 9 Sep. 2024 Moscow’s troops have also deployed old-age techniques like smoke screens, anti-drone cages, and more to keep their tanks safe. Abhishek Bhardwaj, Interesting Engineering, 25 June 2024 The celebrated institutions of democracy and transparency appeared to them as nothing more than smoke screens. Susanna Wing, Foreign Affairs, 11 Apr. 2012 See all Example Sentences for smoke screen 

Word History

First Known Use

1915, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of smoke screen was in 1915

Dictionary Entries Near smoke screen

Cite this Entry

“Smoke screen.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/smoke%20screen. Accessed 24 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

smoke screen

noun
: a screen of or as if of smoke to make observation or detection difficult

More from Merriam-Webster on smoke screen

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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