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
Andrea Long Chu, Vulture, 30 Dec. 2024
Real life and make-believe merged in Nicholas Hoult's daring on-screen escape.
—Rachel Raposas, People.com, 25 Dec. 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
From the boy’s mother, police learned that Dallas had recently developed an interest in a game in which players assumed the roles of fantastical heroes who slew monsters and uncovered lost treasures through a combination of dice rolls and make-believe.
—Andrea Long Chu, Vulture, 30 Dec. 2024
Real life and make-believe merged in Nicholas Hoult's daring on-screen escape.
—Rachel Raposas, People.com, 25 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for make-believe
Recent Examples of Synonyms for make-believe
Adjective
-
Our mayor and City Council must stop pandering to developers by approving zoning laws based on fast, frequent, imaginary, future public transit.—
U T Readers,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
30 Jan. 2025
-
On top of that, Vancouver was right next door, and there was no imaginary border that made Richmond feel like an enclave.—
Rachel Chang,
Travel + Leisure,
29 Jan. 2025
Noun
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While historical fiction can be illuminating, this drama is dangerously misleading.—
Barbara A. Perry,
Newsweek,
28 Jan. 2025
-
The film, which combines fiction and non-fiction elements, has been pursued by other festivals but was only recently completed.—
Anne Thompson,
IndieWire,
25 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Meanwhile, the text suggests that Saulos, his accomplice, engaged in the fictitious sale and manumission of slaves while forging documents to cover their tracks.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
Newsweek,
29 Jan. 2025
-
The contractor, for example, operates under a fictitious name.—
Lawrence Mower,
Miami Herald,
29 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Methodology The probability of Ovechkin breaking the goal record is based on a Monte Carlo simulation of the rest of the season.—
Dom Luszczyszyn,
The Athletic,
2 Feb. 2025
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To that end, leaders in the EDA space like Cadence Design Systems have continuously bolstered their toolsets to better assist customers of all sizes in the design, simulation and testing of their wares.—
Marco Chiappetta,
Forbes,
31 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Ukraine is a fictional state...the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic.—
Maya Mehrara,
Newsweek,
30 Jan. 2025
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The book’s epilogue imagines a world in which similar missions don’t go so well; a fictional NASA spokesperson describes the mysterious loss of a crewed space capsule.—
Cal Newport,
The New Yorker,
29 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Jewelry, Luxury Goods and Precious Metals High-end consumer goods—such as watches and silver, platinum and imitation jewelry—now face higher tariffs.—
Daniel Cody,
Newsweek,
3 Feb. 2025
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License is what turns copy into creative imitation.—
Mario Carpo,
Artforum,
1 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
According to the folklore, a mythical beast would come and devour villagers and livestock each Chinese New Year, but the beast was afraid of loud noises and the color red.—
Claire Hoppe Norgaard,
Better Homes & Gardens,
29 Jan. 2025
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Villagers dressed as cranes, roosters and mythical lions pose for portraits standing amid crops or in fallow farmland.—
Oscar Holland,
CNN,
28 Jan. 2025
Noun
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That authentic representation has been praised in a region full of diversity.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
28 Jan. 2025
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Turbulence can be measured by the eddy dissipation rate (EDR), a numerical representation of the intensity of the turbulence.—
Barbara A. Perry,
Newsweek,
28 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 9 Feb. 2025.
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