front noun [ C usually singular ] (APPEARANCE)
[ C usually singular ] the character or qualities that a person or organization appears to have in public that are different from their real character or qualities, and whose purpose is often to deceive people or hide an illegal activity:
Don't be fooled by his kindness and sensitivity - it's just a front.
She presents such a cheerful front that you'd never guess she's ill.
The machinery company was a front operation for arms smuggling.
Several trading companies were set up in the early 1960s to act as fronts for money-laundering operations.
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/front