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
Amy Davidson Sorkin,
New Yorker,
9 June 2026
Johansson may have been in character while wearing the shoes, but there’s nothing make-believe about their comfort.
—
Averi Baudler,
PEOPLE,
19 May 2026
Will MacKin,
New Yorker,
28 June 2026
Now, there is a brand-new way to immerse yourself in the magical, make-believe worlds that delight us on screen.
—
Rebecca Angel Baer,
Southern Living,
19 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for make believe
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Noun
The rhapsodies about Willow, paired with the silence surrounding the difficult dogs, contribute to a sense of make-believe and avoidance that pervade Biden’s memoir.
—
Amy Davidson Sorkin,
New Yorker,
9 June 2026
Johansson may have been in character while wearing the shoes, but there’s nothing make-believe about their comfort.
—
Averi Baudler,
PEOPLE,
19 May 2026
Adjective
Mention of the farm brought to mind a make-believe oasis of sunshine, warm fields of thick, green grass, fat red apples hanging from a tree, oats mixed with brown sugar in the trough, and a cool, clear stream winding through the center of it all.
—
Will MacKin,
New Yorker,
28 June 2026
Now, there is a brand-new way to immerse yourself in the magical, make-believe worlds that delight us on screen.
—
Rebecca Angel Baer,
Southern Living,
19 June 2026
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 5 Jul. 2026.
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