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
Lilah Ramzi, Vogue, 4 Dec. 2025
For the models, there is real money to be made – though it could only be spent in the make-believe world of the scam compound and its malls, cinemas and hotels, according to Sara.
—Ladan Anoushfar, CNN Money, 24 Nov. 2025
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
That’s just completely make-believe.
—Lilah Ramzi, Vogue, 4 Dec. 2025
For the models, there is real money to be made – though it could only be spent in the make-believe world of the scam compound and its malls, cinemas and hotels, according to Sara.
—Ladan Anoushfar, CNN Money, 24 Nov. 2025
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 11 Dec. 2025.
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