Trojan horse

Definitions

1. The hollow wooden horse by which the Greeks allegedly gained access to Troy during the Trojan War.
   Greek
2. A subversive person or device placed within the ranks of the enemy.
   figuratively
3. A malicious program that is disguised as legitimate software.
4. A seemingly favorable offer designed to trick customers into making exorbitant payments.
5. A person, organization, social movement, piece of legislation, or ideology with a negative agenda or evil intentions under the guise of positive values or good intentions.

Equivalents

Examples

“Worse than what could be observed about the program⟳ was the fear that it might be a Trojan horse program⟳ -- apparently innocent, but carrying a string of code instructing the computer to carry⟳ out a specific damaging instruction at some later time.”

“Russia thinks of an atomic authority as a Trojan horse to get⟳ behind the iron⟳ curtain and impair her defense, and there is some reason⟳ historically for this view⟳.”

“Seen like⟳ this, huge western companies function like⟳ a Trojan horse when they are invited inside the boundaries of LDCs.”

“Had the Israelis and the Americans realized that the Oslo accords were merely a “Trojan horse” designed to promote⟳ the higher goal of Palestine’s complete⟳ liberation, he argued, “they would never have⟳ opened their fortified gates and let⟳ it inside their walls.””

“Indeed, it may turn⟳ out to be a Trojan horse that finally allows conservative ideologues, who have⟳ unsuccessfully laid siege to Medicare since the days of Barry Goldwater, to breach its political defenses.”

CEFR level