as in shows
a display of emotion or behavior that is insincere or intended to deceive
although she was deeply bored, she maintained a masquerade of polite interest as her guest droned on
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Recent Examples of masquerades
Johnny C. Taylor Jr, USA Today, 24 Feb. 2026
Burnout masquerades as ambition.
—Kelly Ehlers, Rolling Stone, 10 Feb. 2026
And humiliation masquerades as justice.
—Rabbi Bruce D. Forman, Sun Sentinel, 10 Feb. 2026
The gala will conclude with rousing Cameroon and Nigerian masquerades by the Odenigbo Group.
—Rachel Bernhard, jsonline.com, 14 Jan. 2026
Noun
Bias masquerades as opinion, with no guidance and no intent to help.
—Johnny C. Taylor Jr, USA Today, 24 Feb. 2026
Burnout masquerades as ambition.
—Kelly Ehlers, Rolling Stone, 10 Feb. 2026
And humiliation masquerades as justice.
—Rabbi Bruce D. Forman, Sun Sentinel, 10 Feb. 2026
The gala will conclude with rousing Cameroon and Nigerian masquerades by the Odenigbo Group.
—Rachel Bernhard, jsonline.com, 14 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for masquerades
Noun
-
Ponder the enormously popular magic-lantern shows that appeared in seventeenth-century Europe.—
Daniel Birnbaum,
Artforum,
2 Apr. 2026
-
The Austin city manager makes more money than Jones, though, with a $538,608 salary, data from the Austin American-Statesman shows.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Lead exposure poses particular risks to children and pregnant women.—
Karen Garcia,
Los Angeles Times,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Gill Pratt poses with an early version of NASA’s Valkyrie DRC robot.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
By the time my story about him was published in the November 2023 issue of Vanity Fair, Aryeh Dodelson, and all of his guises, had disappeared from the face of the earth.—
Nate Freeman,
Vanity Fair,
3 Apr. 2026
-
In its many guises, idolatry has survived, despite regular and often cataclysmic proof of its dangers, for centuries and many people will consider a much-larger-than-life golden statue of a president to be perfectly splendid.—
Culture Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Like that video where Bryan Cranston impersonates Art Garfunkel at Central Park, and his bouffant gets bigger every time the camera cuts back.—
Mike Sutter,
San Antonio Express-News,
25 Feb. 2026
-
Those that fear dust mites and other allergens will be pleased to know this $40 pick from Quince impersonates hotel luxury pillows without the goose down or the price point.—
Kate McGregor,
Architectural Digest,
19 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Like the ongoing Destination Crenshaw initiative, Destination Market Street aims to renovate business facades and add more parking, outdoor seating, pedestrian lighting and enhanced landscaping.—
Angela Osorio,
Los Angeles Times,
31 Mar. 2026
-
The land recreates Arendelle around a lagoon, its timber buildings painted in muted Scandinavian pastels, facades adorned with rosemaling, a traditional Norwegian decorative art.—
Thomas Adamson,
Fortune,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Thus ensnared in a fiction of his making, the narrator takes his phone out and pretends to press Record.—
Giles Harvey,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Sporting a bright yellow raincoat and rainboots, Garcia pretends to be a journalist reporting on the storm in West Kendall as a palm tree leaf slaps her across the face.—
Xitlalic Montelongo,
Miami Herald,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
And Trump, of course, is not—despite his pretenses otherwise—the sole decider here.—
David Frum,
The Atlantic,
25 Mar. 2026
-
The adults were arrested on suspicion of theft from an elder, theft by false pretenses, conspiracy, contracting without a license and other offenses.—
Tim Fang,
CBS News,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
In the dance, Barnes plays a library page on her lunch hour who has to deliver five research requests to patrons.—
Naaman Zhou,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
-
Making plays often for his teammates, Banchero added six assists, but turned the ball over five times.—
Jason Beede,
The Orlando Sentinel,
6 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Masquerades.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/masquerades. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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