sail under false colors en · VERB
Meanings
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(idiomatic, obsolete) To deceive or intentionally mystify.
They were all not exactly sailing under false colours, but deceiving themselves as to their motives—and one another, to a lesser degree, by their actions.
1869, Annie Thomas, “Miss Vargrave Nearly Lands a Fish”, in False Colours. […], volume II, London: Tinsley Brothers, […], →OCLC, page 251:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| sailed under false colors | Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic | |
| sailed under false colors | Tense=Past | lexicographic | |
| sailing under false colors | Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic | |
| sails under false colors | Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres | lexicographic |