as in imaginary
not real and existing only in the imagination
zoomed around the house in a make-believe car
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in fiction
Synonyms & Similar Words
make believe
3 of 3phrase
as in pretend
to present a false appearance of
He made believe he was sick to get out of going to school.
Synonyms & Similar Words
Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of make-believe
Julie Hinds, Detroit Free Press, 17 Mar. 2023
The internet provided a fertile new stage for my proclivity for make-believe.
—Kira Homsher, Longreads, 14 Mar. 2023
Megan Dubois, Forbes, 23 Sep. 2024
Children are supposed to be shielded from harsh realities, to be happily preoccupied with make-believe, to have their innocence protected.
—Haley Strack, National Review, 19 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for make-believe 
Adjective
Yet in the past, intimate scenes in theater, film and television were rarely treated with the same mindfulness as a make-believe duel.
—Julie Hinds, Detroit Free Press, 17 Mar. 2023
The internet provided a fertile new stage for my proclivity for make-believe.
—Kira Homsher, Longreads, 14 Mar. 2023
Noun
Details make the difference to make people believe in the make-believe.
—Megan Dubois, Forbes, 23 Sep. 2024
Children are supposed to be shielded from harsh realities, to be happily preoccupied with make-believe, to have their innocence protected.
—Haley Strack, National Review, 19 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for make-believe
Recent Examples of Synonyms for make-believe
Adjective
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Advertisement Since Southern California was located somewhere near 6:30 on this imaginary clock face, the result was winds traveling from east to west — the opposite of their normal direction.Ned Kleiner, Los Angeles Times, 10 Jan. 2025
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The feature, from experimental filmmaker Matthew Rankin, is an absurdist comedy set in an imaginary Canada where French and Farsi are the country’s two official languages.Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Jan. 2025
Noun
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The set-up almost sounds like a zany comedy, but sometimes fact is actually stranger than fiction.Scott Phillips, Forbes, 4 Jan. 2025
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These include works of memoir, mystery, horror, history, translation and fiction from a range of publishers including the largest to the independents.Michael Schaub, Orange County Register, 2 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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However, that didn’t stop the fictitious school district from announcing closings as the North Texas deals with freezing rain and snow.Harrison Mantas, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 Jan. 2025
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Much like the fictitious film, Moss’s relationship with his youngest child’s mother has been tumultuous.Amber Corrine, VIBE.com, 6 Jan. 2025
Noun
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City-Scale Digital Twins The digital twin concept involves creating virtual replicas, modeled using real-world data, in order to create simulations that can be used for planning and managing development.Bernard Marr, Forbes, 9 Jan. 2025
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Smallville is a Farmville-like simulation involving characters that communicate and interact with each other under the control of large language models.Will Knight, WIRED, 8 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Like their fictional counterparts, Taylor-Joy and Delevingne often hit the town together, including a 2023 girls’ night out that included Taylor Swift, Zoë Kravitz, and Golden Globe double nominee Selena Gomez.EW.com, EW.com, 6 Jan. 2025
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Winslet was nominated for best performance by a female actor in a drama for her role as a photojournalist in Lee and best performance by a female actor in a limited anthology series for television as a fictional dictator in The Regime.Rachel Flynn, People.com, 6 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Since sharing the video in July, the clip has received more than 350,000 views and spawned numerous imitations.The New York Times, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Jan. 2025
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They’re played by Monica Barbaro (now a SAG nominee for her performance) and Boyd Holbrook with a loose reverence for the actual people, with performances that, instead of imitation, take cues from the music itself.Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 8 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Centered on mythical methamphetamine cookers Walter White and Jesse Pinkman, the series wrapped up more than a decade ago, but its legacy continues to draw looky-loos to the home and other associated filming spots around town.CBS News, CBS News, 4 Jan. 2025
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For a long time, six sixes felt to be a mythical achievement.The Athletic UK Staff, The Athletic, 2 Jan. 2025
Noun
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The 118th Congress set the record for having the most LGBTQ representation in U.S. history, with 13 legislators openly identifying as gay, lesbian or bisexual.Kiara Alfonseca, ABC News, 3 Jan. 2025
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The parent of athlete representation businesses and the majority owner of TKO is going private in early 2025, in a deal led by Silver Lake with participation of Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund Mubadala and billionaire Michael Dell.Brendan Coffey, Sportico.com, 2 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near make-believe
Cite this Entry
“Make-believe.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/make-believe. Accessed 18 Jan. 2025.
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