1.

obscure

The shoplifter tried to obscure the store employee's view of her hands so that she could put the lingerie into her purse without getting caught.

The police wanted to obscure the house before entering it.

The grocery store manager got to the market early hoping to obscure some rare plums that a wealthy shopper had been asking for all week.

2.

incognito

The Dutch painter Van Gogh was incognito throughout his life and sold but one painting.

The fugitive now sported a beard and tried to slip through the controls incognito.

When the owners were away on a vacation, the burglar entered the empty house incognito.

3.

duplicity

In Shakespeare's tragedy Othello, the hero kills his wife because of the false accusations of Iago, a duplicitous friend.

Duplicity is the hallmark of honest folks.

All forms must be filled out in duplicity so that the applicant may keep a copy.

4.

sham

When they finally found the cabin, they realized that it was a sham, with the roof caved in and all windows broken.

The band's act was such a sham that the audience sent them off under loud boos.

A sham is almost always the real thing.

5.

ruse

It's always a good ruse to read an entire exam before one begins answering any particular question.

If an offer seems too good to be true, it probably is a ruse.

Under the ruse of friendship, Iago planted suspicions in Othello's mind.

6.

clandestine

Because we cannot hide the damage to the car, we may as well admit the mishap clandestinely.

In her memoir, the actress gave a clandestine report of her troubled childhood.

When the former agent described some of his clandestine actions in an interview, he was accused of compromising national security.

7.

lair

The first thing a new employee has to do is get the lair of the land.

The fox managed to avoid the hunters by disappearing into his lair.

In historic neighborhoods, streets are typically tree-lined and flanked with the lairs of well-to-do citizens from the past.

8.

secluded

Juries must deliberate in seclusion.

The avenue is lined with pricey, secluded shops that show their wares in stylish window displays.

If it's secluded, it's free and open to the public.

9.

recluse

If you're a recluse, you love attention and the limelight.

The so-called Unabomber was so hard to track down because he lived as a recluse in a remote area of Montana.

After war broke out, neighboring countries were flooded with recluses from the violence.

10.

feign

Freedom to chose is a feigned excuse for putting up this eyesore on Route 20.

The actress feigned her role convincingly and had the audience glued to the seats.

The owner feigned ignorance of the regulation his new structure violated.