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
Tanya Sharma, PEOPLE, 16 May 2026
Urgency masquerades as importance, and decisions get made from activation rather than alignment.
—Susan Parsons, Forbes.com, 12 Mar. 2026
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
Noun
This multitasking piece masquerades as a comfortable bench, but is also the ultimate decluttering companion in a busy room.
—Tanya Sharma, PEOPLE, 16 May 2026
Urgency masquerades as importance, and decisions get made from activation rather than alignment.
—Susan Parsons, Forbes.com, 12 Mar. 2026
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
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Now, after the fervor of those live shows, the All-American Rejects are back to recapture that energy with their fifth studio album, Sandbox.—
Maya Georgi,
Rolling Stone,
20 May 2026
-
The total viewer win for the season is NBC’s first since the 2001-02 season, when Friends and ER were two of the top three shows on TV.—
Rick Porter,
HollywoodReporter,
20 May 2026
Verb
-
Our question asker poses a scenario in which the Chargers exceed my prediction.—
Daniel Popper,
New York Times,
21 May 2026
-
Her view echoes a recent Deloitte report on AI governance, which found while most firms have dedicated risk management experts, boards still lack the AI fluency needed to oversee the threats the technology poses to their organizations.—
Jake Angelo,
Fortune,
20 May 2026
Noun
-
Berenger, a character who appears in different guises in several of his plays, is Ionesco’s version of Everyman.—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
13 May 2026
-
Over the years, audiences have seen the Negotiator under many guises, like a martial arts expert, a cowboy, and even a mariachi musician.—
Colson Thayer,
PEOPLE,
12 May 2026
Verb
-
But only male pilots can apply—so Wooram goes full Twelfth Night and impersonates her twin brother Boram, with his blessing.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
1 Apr. 2026
-
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
Noun
-
All of the buildings have these facades that are intricately carved in Baroque and Rococo designs.—
AFAR Media,
AFAR Media,
11 May 2026
-
Historic preservation is often dismissed as nostalgia, the hobby of people who prefer old facades to modern needs.—
Israel Melendez Ayala,
Time,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
But nobody pretends academics matter for college football players in 2026, and shortening the lull could maintain momentum and move the National Championship up a few weeks.—
Ian Miller OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
7 May 2026
-
There's also Bright White, which pretends to be Acetate, and definitely has the texture of something that wants to be organic.—
Florence Ion,
PC Magazine,
1 May 2026
Noun
-
According to Placer Superior Court filings, one false pretenses count and the personal identifying information charge stemmed from a June 21, 2025, incident.—
Sean Campbell,
Sacbee.com,
20 May 2026
-
Officials allege the group sold the oil under false pretenses and used the profits to sustain and expand the original food fraud scheme.—
Bonny Chu,
FOXNews.com,
19 May 2026
Verb
-
Fans serenaded Saiss, who now plays for Qatari side Al Sadd, and showed their appreciation for Jimenez throughout the game on Sunday, even when the Mexico international was simply warming up before his second-half introduction.—
Steve Madeley,
New York Times,
18 May 2026
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And apologies to Pedro Pascal (who plays the Mandalorian), but his costar tends to steal every scene.—
Tracy Smith,
CBS News,
17 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Masquerades.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/masquerades. Accessed 22 May. 2026.
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