How to Use make-believe in a Sentence

make-believe

noun
Definition of make-believenext
Synonyms for make-believenext
  • This is its virtue: to switch off, to put a stop to make-believe.
    — Elizabeth Barber, Harper's Magazine, 9 Feb. 2024
  • Maybe the whole problem was that our goals as adults were far more make-believe than any goals most kids had.
    — Jay Kirk, New York Times, 20 Apr. 2023
  • As a bonus, this reusable fake is a fun prop to keep around for make-believe doctor visits.
    — Kimberly Stoney, Parents, 21 Mar. 2024
  • Instead, the map portrayed the route of the make-believe journey of Barbie from Barbie Land to the ‘real world, as an integral part of the story.
    — Patrick Frater, Variety, 12 July 2023
  • Children play elaborate make-believe games with their toys and role-playing games with their peers.
    — Andrew Shtulman, WSJ, 1 Dec. 2023
  • Even the quotes and internal citations were just make-believe.
    — Faustine Ngila, Quartz, 29 May 2023
  • At the start, a young girl in a scarlet raincoat traipses across the grass of an English country house as a white horse gallops past, as if out of a vision or a child’s make-believe.
    — Zachary Barnes, WSJ, 27 Oct. 2023
  • Instead, he’s fished back to the tools and techniques for make-believe that have been a standard part of human culture since the dawn of civilization.
    — IEEE Spectrum, 15 Dec. 2023
  • In the Hamptons, summer types don’t wax on about make-believe fishing docks or get overly nostalgic about a mom-and-pop donut shop.
    — Holly Peterson, Town & Country, 31 Aug. 2023
  • View full post on Instagram Zooey gave us the full tour of the playhouse including a trip down two slides, even showing us her the make-believe office and guest house.
    — Maggie Horton, Country Living, 5 Aug. 2023
  • If traversing Main Street, take a moment to reflect on areas most guests will walk past, such as side alleys ringing with the frenzy of the make-believe dentistry.
    — Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 20 Apr. 2023
  • Lucky for those of us who think of wellness lifestyles as spiritual make-believe for people with money, those are still the kinds of songs Musgraves wants to write.
    — Chris Richards, Washington Post, 15 Mar. 2024
  • But this time around, the killer is assumed to be someone involved in the theater — a place where actors have perfected the art of lying and make-believe through performance.
    — Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 26 July 2023
  • No wonder those of us who are socialized to make-believe and fantasize have for centuries been the people dreaming of a better world.
    — Time, 13 June 2023
  • Arko uses vivid colors to create a make-believe world for his main character, also called Arko.
    — Vanessa Infanzon, Charlotte Observer, 31 Jan. 2024
  • Retailers love make-believe shopping holidays, and the latest is the Amazon Big Spring Sale.
    — Louryn Strampe, WIRED, 20 Mar. 2024
  • The book is also a meditation on the very fine line between make-believe and reality.
    — The Week Us, theweek, 18 Jan. 2024
  • So how about, say, Southern California, the birthplace of American make-believe and the modern theme park?
    — Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2024
  • The magic of ‘Star Wars’ derived from George Lucas and his love of make-believe, at once childlike and hugely sophisticated, and from his myth-sized view of the absolutes of good and evil, courage and treachery.
    — Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 25 Aug. 2023
  • Stella is available in various skin tones and comes with a magnetic pacifier that little ones can use for make-believe play.
    — Christine Luff, Parents, 27 Feb. 2024
  • But Take Note This block set includes several small figurines, which can encourage an autistic child to engage in make-believe play and strengthen their social skills.
    — Laura Lu, Ms, Parents, 6 Mar. 2024
  • More! follows Prissy Miss, who is befriended by a girl who teaches her the importance of gratitude and the power of make-believe, according to the book’s description.
    — Carly Tagen-Dye, Peoplemag, 6 Jan. 2024
  • The first point is exactly the make-believe reality that net neutralizers want people to think exists.
    — Michael O'Rielly, National Review, 26 Oct. 2023
  • The only perfect candidates live in voters’ imaginations, or as make-believe characters in movies, TV shows and books.
    — Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 4 Apr. 2024
  • This miniature Cape Cod house provides plenty of make-believe space for your child while avoiding the less-sophisticated look of plastic playhouses.
    — Laura Kristine Miller, Better Homes & Gardens, 26 Sep. 2023
  • Not only is Guardians of the Galaxy or Survivor entertaining, but immersing yourself in a make-believe world can give your mind a chance to detach from the very real stressors of everyday life.
    — Jenna Ryu, SELF, 26 Dec. 2023
  • But the almost bland textures of this section feel relevant to the whole project, as Erice sets up a stark contrast between the magic world of cinematic make-believe and the humdrum nature of base reality.
    — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 25 May 2023
  • The quest for the extraordinary in a seemingly ordinary life continues in this make-believe world, interrupted from time to time by the Leading Player giving stage directions.
    — David L. Coddon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 July 2023
  • Jesse’s older brother, P.J., remembers riding dirt bikes, looking for make-believe treasure and occasionally tracking animals, collecting ants and shooting birds in the desert with their BB guns.
    — AZCentral.com, 26 June 2023
  • Grounding, representativeness, and scalability are all unsolved challenges Ultimately, the aim is for AI simulations to accurately model real-world, rather than make-believe, scenarios.
    — Joanne Chen, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2024

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'make-believe.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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