fig leaf

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 fig leaf Unfortunately, that skepticism is often accompanied by a reflexive suspicion that any support for human rights is a fig leaf for imperialism. Matthew Duss, Foreign Affairs, 22 Oct. 2020 Yet claims of conservation appear to be a mere fig leaf for certain commercial safari ranches. Michael Barnes, Austin American-Statesman, 9 Sep. 2024 These gestures have been welcomed by Western governments, though many experts discount them as a fig leaf. Heidi Blake, The New Yorker, 10 Oct. 2024 To put it another way, the technology shouldn’t be employed as a fig leaf for fashion to keep churning out ever-increasing quantities of synthetics. Jasmin Malik Chua, Sourcing Journal, 3 Sep. 2019 See All Example Sentences for fig leaf
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fig leaf
Noun
  • But behind the Potemkin village, the Khmer Rouge regime is declining and the war with Vietnam threatens to invade the country.
    Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 26 Nov. 2024
  • The resort reproduces an ancient Apulian town and farmhouse in a project that some locals have likened to a Mediterranean Potemkin village.
    Emma Bubola, New York Times, 11 June 2024
Noun
  • In truth, tri-fold is a misnomer since there are only two folds, but the three screens form a clever design that unfurls to a full 10.2 inches.
    Simon Hill, WIRED, 5 Mar. 2025
  • The immersive script development lab running concurrently will aim to empower a new diverse cohort of emerging screenwriters to explore their creative voices and hone their storytelling craft for the screen.
    Diana Lodderhose, Deadline, 5 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • The rest of the page displays a laundry list of what these shields involve.
    PCMAG, PCMAG, 4 Mar. 2025
  • When cops made their first attempt to get inside, Rivera shot at them, hitting an officer’s ballistic shield, police said.
    Leonard Greene, New York Daily News, 3 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Her newer work is filled with references to the American realist — shadows stretch across faces, light filters through blinds and voyeuristically peeks into homes.
    Leah Asmelash, CNN, 26 Feb. 2025
  • Several reddish-brown spots were located on the walls, bed frame, and blinds of the master bedroom.
    Audrey Conklin, Fox News, 18 Feb. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Fig leaf.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fig%20leaf. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.

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