Smokescreen

Definitions

1. Smoke used as a disguise, mask or cover, as of troops in battle.
2. Anything used metaphorically to conceal or distract.
   figuratively

Equivalents

Examples

“Ensign Whitely began to tell⟳ of the surprise⟳ encounter of Admiral Sprague’s escort-carrier force⟳ with the main battle line of the Japanese Navy off Samar, in a chaos of rain⟳ squalls and smoke⟳ screens.”

“C.I.E. Class "D14" 4-4-0 No. 89 covers its tracks with a magnificent smokescreen as it pulls out of Dun Laoghaire with the 9.0 a.m. boat train⟳ for Dublin.”

“However, before most of this was experimentally and observationally discovered, they were perhaps best known for their “almost unique” ability to squirt ink when harangued, creating a smokescreen before jetting off to safety.”

“All that talk⟳ is just a smokescreen to disguise the fact that he has nothing to say⟳.”

“It was all very plausible and, as he poured out his smokescreen of words, I became fidgety for fear Fallon would be too direct⟳ with him.”

CEFR level