window dressing

noun

1
: the display of merchandise in a retail store window
2
a
: the act or an instance of making something appear deceptively attractive or favorable
b
: something used to create a deceptively favorable or attractive impression
window-dress transitive verb
window dresser noun

Examples of window dressing in a Sentence

These changes are being made for a good reason. They're not just window dressing. the crime-does-not-pay moralizing is just window dressing for nasty hard-boiled stories
Recent Examples on the Web The contest began with a whole lot of entertaining window dressing (including a really cool block window frame that players had to build and then throw sandbags through) before ending in a puzzle that all three teams essentially started simultaneously. Dalton Ross, EW.com, 10 Oct. 2024 This means that anything that the airlines agree to will mostly be window dressing and, eventually, will be circumvented with new rules and limitations. Sheldon H. Jacobson, The Mercury News, 8 Oct. 2024 Without a direct infusion of capital into the hands of buyers, like a down payment for a home, these stocks are all window dressing. Jim Cramer, CNBC, 29 Sep. 2024 On top of being woefully miscast as the stoic soldier Roland, Hart was simply window dressing. Ash Parrish, The Verge, 30 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for window dressing 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'window dressing.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1850, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of window dressing was in 1850

Dictionary Entries Near window dressing

Cite this Entry

“Window dressing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/window%20dressing. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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