CLOAK Synonyms: 130 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the verb 'cloak' differ from other similar words?

The words disguise and mask are common synonyms of cloak . While all three words mean "to alter the dress or appearance of so as to conceal the identity or true nature," cloak suggests a means of hiding a movement or an intention. // cloaked their maneuvers in secrecy

Q: When is it sensible to use 'disguise' instead of 'cloak'?

While the synonyms disguise and cloak are close in meaning, disguise implies a change in appearance or behavior that misleads by presenting a different apparent identity. // disguised herself as a peasant

Q: When is 'mask' a more appropriate choice than 'cloak'?

In some situations, the words mask and cloak are roughly equivalent. However, mask suggests some often obvious means of hiding or disguising something. // smiling to mask his discontent

cloak 1 of 2

noun

ˈklōk

Definition of cloak next

as in veil

something that covers or conceals like a piece of cloth the cloak of mystery that surrounds the royal family

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in cape

a sleeveless garment worn so as to hang over the shoulders, arms, and back threw a cloak around his shoulders

Synonyms & Similar Words

cloak

2 of 2

verb

as in to disguise

to change the dress or looks of so as to conceal true identity the outlaw nation had cloaked its chemical weapons plant as a fertilizer factory

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to conceal

to keep secret or shut off from view cloaked their military maneuvers from the outside world

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb cloak differ from other similar words?

The words disguise and mask are common synonyms of cloak. While all three words mean "to alter the dress or appearance of so as to conceal the identity or true nature," cloak suggests a means of hiding a movement or an intention.

cloaked their maneuvers in secrecy

When is it sensible to use disguise instead of cloak?

While the synonyms disguise and cloak are close in meaning, disguise implies a change in appearance or behavior that misleads by presenting a different apparent identity.

disguised herself as a peasant

When is mask a more appropriate choice than cloak?

In some situations, the words mask and cloak are roughly equivalent. However, mask suggests some often obvious means of hiding or disguising something.

smiling to mask his discontent

Examples Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of cloak

Noun

By winter, August’s humid cloak is long gone, freeing up temperate breezes that whirl in from the cooling waters of the Atlantic—a time locals know in their bones as oyster season. —

Jennifer Hope Choi, Bon Appétit, 13 Dec. 2024 Grab your cloaks and your predatory headbands; a third season of The Traitors is among us. —

Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 18 Dec. 2024

Verb

Similar in appearance to the smog that cloaks cities on Earth, a concentration of photochemical haze covers Uranus’s northern pole, which switches between 42-year stretches of sun and 42-year stretches of shadow due to the planet’s sideways spin. —

Sam Walters, Discover Magazine, 12 Dec. 2024 Thomas is half-tricked and half-lured to the decrepit castle in which Orlok, played by Bill Skarsgård in ghoul makeup and an unexpectedly hearty mustache, is the only apparent resident, partially obscured and cloaked in shadows even when the two characters share a room. —

Alison Willmore, Vulture, 23 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for cloak

Recent Examples of Synonyms for cloak

Noun

Alas, the clouds soon gathered, casting their veil over the moon, obscuring it from sight.

— Brett Tingley, Space.com, 13 Jan. 2025
Mars clouds have wispy features, more like a gauzy veil than a fluffy sheep.

— Amanda Kooser, Forbes, 13 Jan. 2025