masks 1 of 2

noun

plural of mask
1
as in costumes
a cover or partial cover for the face used to disguise oneself an elaborate mask that would be suitable for a fancy masquerade ball

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2
as in veils
something that covers or conceals like a piece of cloth his unexpected friendliness is just a mask, for he always has an ulterior motive

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masks

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of mask
1
as in disguises
to change the dress or looks of so as to conceal true identity the federal agents masked their surveillance vehicle so that it looked like an ordinary moving van

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in hides
to keep secret or shut off from view masked his real motives for wanting to see the house that was for sale

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example 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 masks
Noun
Police said the two men did not wear masks, paid to enter the museum and were clearly seen on surveillance cameras. — CBS News, 28 Aug. 2026 There, nefarious things are happening behind the scenes, and this time around, the bad guys might not be wearing masks. — Keith Langston, PEOPLE, 28 Aug. 2026 Police said on Friday that the men had bought tickets to the museum, were not wearing masks, and were captured clearly on surveillance cameras. — Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 28 Aug. 2026 Gottlieb, at the same time, made works merging surrealism with imagery inspired by masks and ritual objects from Africa, the Pacific, and Native North American cultures. — Sebastian Smee, The Atlantic, 27 Aug. 2026 In addition to the plumping voluform, the masks also include hyaluronic acid, collagen, and glycerin. — Essence Wiley, InStyle, 26 Aug. 2026 Which meant that masks were always going to be useless, as pre-pandemic planning research had already confirmed. — Ian Miller Outkick, FOXNews.com, 26 Aug. 2026 It's lined with people selling African masks, straw mats, and wood carvings of various animals, both realistic and mythological. — Harriet Elton, Condé Nast Traveler, 26 Aug. 2026 There are also masks, gloves and other PPE recently dropped off by good samaritans. — Kirk Siegler, NPR, 25 Aug. 2026
Verb
The current acceleration in European EV sales - in the first half of 2026 EV sales rose about 40% to 1,220,890 (ACEA) compared with the same period last year - masks the overriding failure. — Neil Winton, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026 My hope is our offense will be unstoppable, while my defense mostly gets shredded over the middle but masks it with strip-sacks and interceptions. — Stewart Mandel, New York Times, 15 July 2026 Garlic has a strong odor that masks the scents that attract pests to plants. — Melissa Epifano, The Spruce, 13 July 2026 Using one-time revenues for ongoing obligations is not fiscally responsible, masks structural deficits and shifts burdens to future budgets. — Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 June 2026 This accuracy, however, masks a growing vulnerability. — Zak Kassas, The Conversation, 23 June 2026 Advertisement The chips problem However, Russia’s talk of growing its own AI talent pipeline masks a greater weakness in the nation’s sovereign AI efforts. — Nikita Ostrovsky, Time, 18 June 2026 Paula turns on a dime, expertly masks her horror, stress, and despair, and puts on a smile for her little girl. — Erin Qualey, Vulture, 17 June 2026 Chris Richards, from Alabama, is an uncompromising defender whose Afro towers above the back line and whose lankiness masks a quickness that covers gaps in the American half. — Leander Schaerlaeckens, New Yorker, 22 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for masks
  1. costumes
  2. veils
  3. disguises
  4. hides
  5. cloaks
  6. conceals
  7. shrouds
  8. obscures
Noun
  • Rodrigo Teaser of Brazil portrays Michael Jackson in this tribute concert with choreography, costumes and more.
    — Patrick Connolly, The Orlando Sentinel, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Attendees arrived sporting Malört T-shirts, jerseys, hats shaped like the bottle and Malört-themed costumes, including the Mandalorian and pope.
    — Eva Remijan-Toba, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of costumes
Noun
  • Their heads are covered in waist-length teal veils, and black canvas work aprons cover their gray habits.
    — Adora Namigadde, NPR, 23 July 2026
  • With diagnostic precision, shifting baseline syndrome puts a name on something that most of us have experienced—the ways in which the fog of forgetting veils experience.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 July 2026
Definition of veils
Verb
  • Today, greenwashing often disguises the true nature of corporate activity by appealing to the increasing number of people who care about environmental sustainability.
    — Marissa E. Yingling, The Conversation, 12 Aug. 2026
  • The film itself is about a Jewish woman who refuses the limits imposed on her mind and disguises herself as a man in order to study, and the parallel was impossible to miss.
    — Debbie Millman, Time, 25 July 2026
Definition of disguises
Verb
  • The expansion will take players to the brand new realm of Letten — an idyllic land of rural tradition that hides a dark secret just below the surface.
    — Tanya Fedak, Variety, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Who’s flaunting their skeletal frame and who hides a bit behind a couture wall of feathers?
    — Marti Noxon, HollywoodReporter, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of hides
Noun
  • The researchers now plan to explore smart, multifunctional cloaks capable of masking objects that produce their own heat.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 29 July 2026
  • Just running around wearing cloaks, slinking into and out of castles, slicing the throats of all who cross her.
    — Brian Grubb, Vulture, 27 July 2026
Definition of cloaks
Verb
  • Co-created by Amber Noizumi and Michael Green, Blue Eye Samurai follows the story of Mizu, a samurai who conceals her gender and mixed-race heritage after facing a life of discrimination, on a personal quest for revenge.
    — Jess Weatherbed, The Verge, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Throughout the Gospels, Jesus initially conceals his identity as the Messiah from even his closest disciples.
    — John Blake, CNN Money, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of conceals
Noun
  • The secrecy mandate in state law shrouds more than just the financial details of a project.
    — Rob Davis, ProPublica, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Like the men, the women all wore overalls, shapeless shrouds of dark denim.
    — Shyla Watson, PEOPLE, 13 July 2026
Definition of shrouds
Verb
  • Eclipses always travel in pairs as the sun, moon and Earth align so precisely that one obscures the other.
    — Marcia Dunn, The Orlando Sentinel, 22 Aug. 2026
  • Rather than blocking the sun entirely, the moon obscures only a portion of it, leaving behind the eclipse's signature crescent shape.
    — Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of obscures

Browse Nearby Words

masking
masks
masque
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Cite this Entry

“Masks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/masks. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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