Smoke Screen (Noun)

Meaning ¹

An action intended to conceal or confuse or obscure; "requesting new powers of surveillance is just a smokescreen to hide their failures".

Classification

Nouns denoting acts or actions.

Examples

• The company's announcement of a new product was just a smoke screen to distract from their financial troubles.
• The politician's promise to create new jobs was a smoke screen to win votes in the upcoming election.
• The new policy was a smoke screen to justify the increased taxes on citizens.
• The government's investigation into the scandal was a smoke screen to avoid taking real action.
• The company's claims of environmental responsibility were a smoke screen to improve their public image.

Synonyms

• Smokescreen

Hypernyms

• Concealing
• Hiding

Meaning ²

(military) screen consisting of a cloud of smoke that obscures movements.

Classification

Nouns denoting man-made objects.

Examples

• The enemy forces created a smoke screen to conceal their retreat from the battlefield.
• The artillery unit laid down a smoke screen to protect the infantry's advance on the enemy position.
• The pilot deployed a smoke screen to evade the surface-to-air missile that was tracking his aircraft.
• The naval task force used a smoke screen to escape from the enemy's torpedo attack.
• The special forces team created a smoke screen to cover their extraction from the hostile territory.

Synonyms

• Smokescreen