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
Example 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
Matt Donnelly, Variety, 25 Jan. 2025
Guests explore interactive and immersive make-believe film sets, props, creatures and characters.
—Roger Sands, Forbes, 21 Jan. 2025
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
Tatum is perfect as a douchey A-lister, looking for authenticity and street cred alongside real soldiers in a make-believe scenario.
—Matt Donnelly, Variety, 25 Jan. 2025
Guests explore interactive and immersive make-believe film sets, props, creatures and characters.
—Roger Sands, Forbes, 21 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for make-believe
Recent Examples of Synonyms for make-believe
Adjective
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Unlike the more familiar real numbers – positive and negative integers, fractions, square roots, cube roots and even numbers such as pi – complex numbers have an imaginary component.—
William Ross,
The Conversation,
10 Mar. 2025
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The system that most captured his imagination was an imaginary device that had launched the field of computer science, the Turing machine.—
Charlie Wood,
Quanta Magazine,
7 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Survivor 48 star Stephanie Berger is not rooting for Vula after that Tribal Council Fact or fiction?—
Dalton Ross,
EW.com,
6 Mar. 2025
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Even the show’s outies are innies, of a kind, caught deliciously in fiction.—
Katy Waldman,
The New Yorker,
6 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Putin cannot refuse a ceasefire, without losing the fictitious moral high ground.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN,
11 Mar. 2025
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The report did not mention any instances of dead or fictitious employees getting paid.—
Laura Doan,
CBS News,
27 Feb. 2025
Noun
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The simulations revealed that around 14% of these bodies are formed in pairs or triplets with separations around seven to 15 times the distance between the sun and Earth.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
10 Mar. 2025
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By replicating real-world crisis scenarios, these simulations give responders a low-risk space to practice decision-making, communication, and emotional regulation.—
Edward Segal,
Forbes,
9 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Set in a fictional recreation of the Secunderabad area that gives the film its title, early glimpses have already generated substantial buzz among Indian cinema fans.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
7 Mar. 2025
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And now, its lobby and outdoor spaces are often used as the stand-in for the fictional Lumon industries.—
Stacey Leasca,
Travel + Leisure,
6 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Many of them can do a solid imitation of the Dikembe Mutombo finger wag.—
Daniel Brown,
The Athletic,
16 Feb. 2025
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The Heat have done a very credible imitation of the Washington Generals recently.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
11 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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The success of your AI initiatives doesn't depend on finding that mythical, perfect leader.—
Bernard Marr,
Forbes,
6 Mar. 2025
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Under Azra’s oppressive regime, a rebellion headed by a mythical figure known as Uchawi, in alliance with the forest-dwelling Root Sisters, has grown in the shadows to take back Talamh and restore its magical essence.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
4 Mar. 2025
Noun
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This year’s index ranks countries based on ten measures, including pay, education, parental leave, and representation in leadership roles.—
Kim Elsesser,
Forbes,
5 Mar. 2025
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Podcaster Kenny Beecham and his Enjoy Basketball media and lifestyle brand have signed with WME for representation in all areas.—
Etan Vlessing,
The Hollywood Reporter,
4 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Make-believe.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/make-believe. Accessed 18 Mar. 2025.
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