Potemkin village

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 Potemkin village But his proudest accomplishments amount to little more than a progressive Potemkin village. Paul Vallas, Chicago Tribune, 15 May 2025 Emma Stone and Nathan Fielder portray a married couple who build a Potemkin village of eco-friendly homes and pour-over coffee shops in a struggling New Mexico town. Jennifer Wilson, The New Yorker, 10 Mar. 2025 But behind the Potemkin village, the Khmer Rouge regime is declining and the war with Vietnam threatens to invade the country. Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 26 Nov. 2024 Emma Stone and Nathan Fielder portray a married couple who build a Potemkin village of eco-friendly homes and pour-over coffee shops in a struggling New Mexico town. Jennifer Wilson, The New Yorker, 10 Mar. 2025 But behind the Potemkin village, the Khmer Rouge regime is declining and the war with Vietnam threatens to invade the country. Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 26 Nov. 2024 The resort reproduces an ancient Apulian town and farmhouse in a project that some locals have likened to a Mediterranean Potemkin village. Emma Bubola, New York Times, 11 June 2024 The fake blood, the cars on rails, the Potemkin villages, not to mention the computer graphics, the herds and armies and tempests that exist only in code. Nick Paumgarten, The New Yorker, 6 May 2024 Is the immaculate beauty of that metro station a Potemkin village glossing over the fear with which many Russians live? Scott Simon, NPR, 23 Feb. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for Potemkin village
Noun
  • Yet in truth, Jewish fear is being used as a fig leaf for an anti-democratic agenda of mass deportations, civil rights rollbacks and attacks on higher education.
    Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 22 Apr. 2025
  • In this context, elections would allow the generals to cover their 2021 power grab with a fig leaf of legitimacy.
    Tharaphi Than, The Conversation, 4 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Following The Dark Knight, Dastmalchian has appeared in nearly 100 screen roles in such films as Marvel’s Ant-Man trilogy, director James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad and Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer, as well as the 2024 indie horror hit Late Night with the Devil.
    Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 28 May 2025
  • The stage/screen/frames morph to reflect their individual themes (Cruella as fashionista; Hook’s look is, naturally, nautical).
    Dewayne Bevil, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 May 2025
Noun
  • Bielema was coaching the punt shield phase of the Badgers special teams unit and was ready to make a bold call.
    Bruce Feldman, New York Times, 30 May 2025
  • Critics have raised concerns that the effort to create such a shield would raise suspicions and exacerbate a global arms race as well as accelerate the weaponization of space.
    Chad de Guzman, Time, 27 May 2025
Noun
  • During this service, the cleaners will scrub all surfaces, such as baseboards, cabinet fronts, blinds and more.
    Abby Wolner, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 Apr. 2025
  • Spray the cabinet front, then wipe with a damp cloth. To prevent yellowing, protect your cabinets from direct sunlight by using shades, blinds, or curtains.
    Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 7 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Potemkin village.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/Potemkin%20village. Accessed 6 Jun. 2025.

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