in disguise

English

Prepositional phrase

in disguise

1. Employing a disguise.

   The celebrity went unnoticed by her fans because she was in disguise.

   The homeless man was actually a police officer in disguise working to catch drivers texting.

2. (figuratively) Seeming to be something else than what it actually is.

   That so-called news story is really advertising in disguise.

Derived terms

• blessing in disguise
• devil in disguise