# false flag

> English word · Noun

## Definitions
1. A ruse, in the days of sail, in which an attacking ship would fly the colours of its enemy until close enough to open fire.
2. A diversionary or propaganda tactic of deceiving an adversary into thinking that an operation was carried out by another party.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/false-flag