make believe
1 of 3phrase
make-be·lieve
ˈmāk-bə-ˌlēv 
variants
or less commonly make-belief
: a pretending that what is not real is real
… a fiction writer's childish willingness to immerse himself in make-believe.—
John Updike
John UpdikeSynonyms of make believe
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Adjective
Examples of make believe in a Sentence
Adjective
zoomed around the house in a make-believe car
Recent Examples on the Web
Amarachi Orie, CNN Money, 9 Feb. 2026
In a set of experiments, a team of researchers offered a bonobo named Kanzi invisible juice and grapes, presenting the tests as something of a game, akin to a child’s make-believe tea party.
—Evan Bush, NBC news, 5 Feb. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for make believe
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Noun
Now, a new study suggests that such make-believe play is not a uniquely human talent, but a skill that great apes also possess.
—Amarachi Orie, CNN Money, 9 Feb. 2026
In a set of experiments, a team of researchers offered a bonobo named Kanzi invisible juice and grapes, presenting the tests as something of a game, akin to a child’s make-believe tea party.
—Evan Bush, NBC news, 5 Feb. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for make believe
Cite this Entry
“Make believe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/make%20believe. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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