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

At the end of her set, a dancer brought up a cloak to wrap around her, in an echo of James Brown. —

CBS News, 20 Oct. 2024 Just inland from the Pacific Northwest’s rainforest drip line, with more than 10 feet of rain a year, are the forests dominated by Douglas fir, western red cedar and hemlock, growing in the mild climate with some 70 inches of rain a year, in a thick rumpled green cloak in the Cascade lowlands. —

Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 15 Oct. 2024

Verb

Familial storylines might partially cloak the importance of the game for both sides, at least in national media discussions. —

Bennett Conlin, Baltimore Sun, 21 Nov. 2024 After the Mary Rose came to rest at the bottom of a strait in the English Channel, a layer of silt cloaked the ship and the hundreds of crew who died on board. —

Ashley Strickland, CNN, 2 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for cloak

Recent Examples of Synonyms for cloak

Noun

The brides are switched because their wedding veils conceal their identity, one of them hidden and the other deliberately hiding.

Proma Khosla, IndieWire, 13 Dec. 2024
Her clothing is all unmemorable shades of beige, gray, and cream, but her daintily white hair is cut into a bob that suggests a Tudor-era gable hood or a nun’s veil.

Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 5 Dec. 2024