Remove the taskbar. It either appears as an applet at the bottom (KDE default) or the top (GNOME). Or it can appear as an external taksbar (KDE; maybe GNOME).
The windows will still exist as you described them.
Alternatively, you can configure that in KDE so that the panel or taksbar can be hidden by clicking on a button, or it hides automatically, or so that other windows can cover it. Then it can be restored by clicking on the little arrwo at the edge of the screen (What I do)
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