Potemkin village
noun
Po·tem·kin village pə-ˈtem(p)-kən- 
: an impressive facade or show designed to hide an undesirable fact or condition
Word History
Etymology
Grigori Potëmkin, who supposedly built impressive fake villages along a route Catherine the Great was to travel
First Known Use
1904, in the meaning defined above
Potemkin villages
noun
as in fig leafs
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- fig leafs
- fig leaves
- Trojan horses
- screens
- shields
- blinds
- concealers
- blankets
- penumbrae
- disguises
- camouflages
- wraps
- facades
- masks
- covertures
- robes
- veneers
- veils
- curtains
- hoods
- shrouds
- copes
- coverings
- cloaks
- mantles
- façades
- faces
- palls
- varnishes
- glosses
- covers
- penumbras
- cover-ups
- effectual
- effectual calling
- effectualities
- effectuality
- effectually
- effectualness
- effectualnesses
- effectuate
- effectuated
- effectuates
- effectuating
- effectuation
- effectuations
- effed
- effed up
- effed-up
- effeir
- effeirs
- effeminacies
- effeminacy
- effeminate
- effeminated
- effeminately
- effeminateness
- effeminatenesses