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