false front
Americannoun
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a façade falsifying the size, finish, or importance of a building, especially one having a humble purpose or cheap construction.
-
any deceptive appearance.
He hid his great shyness behind a false front of aggressiveness.
Etymology
Origin of false front
An Americanism dating back to 1885–90
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
When a character isn’t what they seem, making the false front too emotionally relatable is counterproductive; the viewer, using myself as an example, will feel cheated, annoyed.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 7, 2026
But honestly, it felt scarier to me in the beginning of my life not talking about it and just keeping everything inside and then having to put on this sort of false front.
From Salon • Oct. 1, 2023
And then his wedge to the 16th came up just short enough to catch the false front and tumbled back into the fairway.
From Washington Times • Jan. 10, 2023
Second, Yates takes dead aim at the false front that is the U.S.
From Washington Post • Oct. 3, 2022
He learned to be cordial to everyone—a sophisticated and ultimately false front.
From "Snow Falling on Cedars: A Novel" by David Guterson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
