masks 1 of 2

Definition of masksnext
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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masks

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of mask

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
But following elite competition is nearly impossible, with subtle flicks and jabs practically invisible to the naked eye—and competitors hidden behind masks. Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 25 Apr. 2026 Police said three men wearing masks and all black clothing entered the open business and allegedly used a hammer to smash out several glass panels. Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 25 Apr. 2026 Police said three suspects from the same group entered a business wearing masks, holding handguns and a rifle, and took two cash registers and packs of cigarettes. Suzanne Le Mignot, CBS News, 24 Apr. 2026 Neither, Danielson maintains, was their choice to wear Guy Fawkes masks meant to be menacing. Tessa Stuart, Rolling Stone, 23 Apr. 2026 The Department of Justice first challenged the law shortly after it was passed last fall, suing to block the ID requirement alongside a related effort to ban masks for federal agents and local police. Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2026 San Francisco’s Jonathan Carver Moore is offering small pieces by Demond Melancon representing colorful masks that recall classical African examples, created in glass beads and rhinestones on canvas, priced at $8,000. Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 10 Apr. 2026 Hosting a London reception to save the Asian Elephant from extinction, the couple goofed off with a pair of masks. Brendan Le, PEOPLE, 9 Apr. 2026 However, the headline improvement masks a deepening divide in wage growth. Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 9 Apr. 2026
Verb
Everything is coated in a garlic butter salt that masks the mediocrity of the nuts. Alex Beggs, Bon Appetit Magazine, 25 Apr. 2026 The country’s prosperity masks a condition of perpetual labor simply to sustain family and keep pace with one of the world’s most expensive cities. Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 25 Apr. 2026 Allium can be planted behind hostas in the garden for a pop of color and vertical interest while the lush hosta foliage masks its unattractive leaves. Cori Sears, The Spruce, 21 Apr. 2026 But that headline figure masks a growing divide between two cohorts with almost nothing in common economically. Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 17 Apr. 2026 But Elham, a contentious and fiercely competitive student, suspects that Marjan’s zeal for anglophone culture, including Hollywood romantic comedies, masks a resentment for the Iranian life she is now stuck with. Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2026 Biff, once a high school star, is now disillusioned and searching for meaning after years of false starts, while Happy — outwardly confident and eager to impress — clings to a glossy vision of success that masks his own dissatisfaction. Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 10 Apr. 2026 That parity masks the significant gains women have recently made in the labor market. Andrea Hsu, NPR, 10 Apr. 2026 But his professional success masks a series of devastating personal tragedies. Don Riddell, CNN Money, 9 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for masks
Noun
  • Two years later, the midnight-movie adaptation The Rocky Horror Picture Show transformed it into a cultural phenomenon, fueled by raucous responses, scant costumes and a sense of communal anarchy.
    Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 24 Apr. 2026
  • Anti-Trump and anti-Paramount protesters held signs and wore costumes outside the event on Thursday evening.
    Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 24 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Her dance of the seven veils is sexy typing.
    Classical Music Critic, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2026
  • The resulting works were breathtaking, immersing the viewer in luminous veils of paint that swept across the canvas, seeming to splash back up from the bottom, creating an enveloping sense of tranquility and awe that pushed against the jittery energy of Abstract Expressionism.
    News Desk, Artforum, 26 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Crafted into undone bends, the style disguises flyaways and limp ends.
    Fiona Embleton, Glamour, 6 Mar. 2026
  • Shortly after arriving at the home just after midnight, Nelson downloaded a phone app that disguises the phone number of incoming calls.
    Nick Ferraro, Twin Cities, 27 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Ohm, well played by Scott who can wither with you with a look, is the classic ugly American and is rude to everyone at the hotel, but those putdowns and cruelty hides his self loathing.
    Randy Myers, Mercury News, 30 Apr. 2026
  • Creative desserts were added in late 2025, like a matcha-and-fig leaf gateaux served with green apple sorbet, and blood orange-and-yuza espuma, a fluffy citrus confection that hides a surprise of chocolate olive oil pieces.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • The housekeepers greet me with genuine care, the bartenders create cocktails with panache and smiles, and the doormen and women jauntily pose for pictures in their thick Batman-style winter cloaks.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Apr. 2026
  • Anybody heading into the spring with a seasonably cheerful and rosy view of world affairs will be well-met by the return of the patron saints of drone metal, pulling on their cloaks to herald our everlong winter.
    Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 23 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • For the cooking areas, Rockwell’s team installed floor-to-ceiling subway tile, a giant island, and deep-green millwork from Plain English that conceals all of the essentials.
    Hannah Martin, Architectural Digest, 16 Apr. 2026
  • In fact, Nicky and Morgan’s middle-class respectability conceals an overwhelming existential paralysis.
    Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 9 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • The 39 members of the group were discovered lying on their backs and covered by purple shrouds.
    Frannie Comstock, Encyclopedia Britannica, 24 Mar. 2026
  • Many of its songs crystallize around samples of choirs singing, their soft syllables dissolving beneath heavy shrouds of reverb.
    Sasha Geffen, Pitchfork, 10 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • What that survey obscures, however, is the cost of avoidance.
    Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 23 Apr. 2026
  • But such language obscures patterns of danger that are recognizable, predictable – and, importantly, preventable.
    Kathryn Spearman, The Conversation, 20 Apr. 2026

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Cite this Entry

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

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