Meaning & use
smoke screen
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Meanings
nouncountablefigurative
Something said or done to hide the truth or to distract people from what is really happening.
Grammar: Countable: a smoke screen, several smoke screens.
Patterns
- a smoke screen for something
- put up a smoke screen
- use something as a smoke screen
The announcement was just a smoke screen to hide the company's losses.
He put up a smoke screen of excuses to avoid answering questions.
Critics called the report a smoke screen for the real problems.
nouncountablemilitary
A cloud of smoke used to hide military movements or positions.
Grammar: Countable: lay a smoke screen.
Patterns
- lay a smoke screen
- a smoke screen of smoke
The troops laid a smoke screen to cover their advance.
A thick smoke screen hid the ships from view.
Word forms
| plural | smoke screens |
|---|
Common combinations
- a smoke screen for something
- The tax cut was a smoke screen for higher fees.
- put up a smoke screen
- The manager put up a smoke screen to avoid blame.
- hide behind a smoke screen
- They hid behind a smoke screen of legal language.
- lay a smoke screen
- The soldiers laid a smoke screen before crossing the field.
Synonyms and how they differ
- distraction
- A distraction draws attention away, but it may not be deliberate; a smoke screen usually involves intentional deception.
- cover-up
- A cover-up hides evidence of wrongdoing, while a smoke screen may simply divert attention from a situation.
- red herring
- A red herring is a misleading clue or topic; a smoke screen is a broader tactic to obscure the truth.
Commonly confused: smoke screen or smokescreen?
smoke screen vs smokescreen
The one-word spelling 'smokescreen' is also common, especially in American English; both are acceptable.
Practice
The politician's promise was seen as a smoke screen ___ the real economic problems.
Choose one answer.
The usual pattern is 'a smoke screen for something' when it hides or distracts from that thing. 'To' would need a verb, as in 'to hide', and 'of' or 'with' do not fit this meaning.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “smoke screen”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.