smoke and mirrors
Elaborate calculated illusion
Smoke and mirrors refers to deception or misdirection that obscures the truth, especially through elaborate but hollow presentations.
The phrase comes from stage magic, where smoke effects and angled mirrors create convincing illusions.
It's now used broadly to describe tactics that distract from substance or hide problems behind impressive-seeming displays.
The company's financial reports were all smoke and mirrors.
Don't be fooled by the smoke and mirrors—there's no real plan here.
- misdirectionIntentional focus manipulation
- hokumContrived sentimental rubbish
- sleight of handSkillful manual deception
- parlor trickSimple impressive demonstration
- illusionMisleading sensory impression
trickery · obfuscation · deception · hidden agenda · pulling strings · flimflam · dog and pony show · shenanigans · smokescreen · gaslighting · propaganda · legerdemain · vanishing act · facade · behind the curtain · spin · artifice · house of cards
- illusionsmirage, optical illusion, hallucination, illusion, afterimage
- stage illusionstrap door, levitation, vanishing act, disappearing act, sawing in half
- cunningcunning, craftiness, crafty, guile, slyness
- trickerytrick, deceive, mislead, hoax, ruse
- Untrustworthy Thingsbroken promise, fair-weather friend, snake in the grass, wolf in sheep's clothing, two-faced
- gimmicksgimmick, trick, ploy, stunt, gag
smoke and mirrorstransparency
State of being see-through
candor · honesty · forthrightness · openness · plain dealing
smoke and mirrorssubstance
Physical material with mass
authenticity · solid foundation · reality · meat and potatoes · brass tacks
smoke, mirror, smoking, smoky, smoked, mirrors, mirrored, smoker, smokes