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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Getting put in imaginary handcuffs, a reference to Miami-Dade police’s detainment of the All-Pro receiver outside of Hard Rock Stadium prior to Sunday’s game.—
C. Isaiah Smalls II,
Miami Herald,
7 Mar. 2025
Noun
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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
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Here are our favorite transgender mice in fiction, from least to most transgender.—
Mathew Rodriguez,
Them,
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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The series follows the (fictional) famous televangelist family of the Gemstones, led by widowed patriarch Eli (played by John Goodman) alongside his immature children Jesse (Danny McBride), Judy (Edi Patterson) and Kelvin (Adam DeVine).—
Kirsten Chuba,
The Hollywood Reporter,
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 includes integrating data from urban, suburban and rural populations, ensuring representation across racial and ethnic groups, and accounting for socioeconomic and lifestyle differences that impact health outcomes. 3.—
Sanjay Juneja,
Forbes,
17 Mar. 2025
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This scene also reveals something that gets to the heart of many corporate diversity initiatives and the limitations of representation.—
Banseka Kayembe,
refinery29.com,
17 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Make-believe.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/make-believe. Accessed 20 Mar. 2025.
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