charade

noun

shə-ˈrād How to pronounce charade (audio)
Definition of charadenext
as in pretense
a display of emotion or behavior that is insincere or intended to deceive put on a convincing charade to keep her from knowing about the surprise party

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of charade One of the trip's funniest moments came during a game of Salad Bowl, a game that's a combination of charades and Catch Phrase. — Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 10 June 2026 What Scott wrote about UF’s presidential choice, former University of Alabama President Stuart Bell, applies to the entire political presidency charade. — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 3 June 2026 Lots of people fell for the charade. — Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 20 May 2026 The wokes who hate capitalism see this charade as Meg selling out for a paycheck. — Joe Kinsey Outkick, FOXNews.com, 19 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for charade
Recent Examples of Synonyms for charade
  1. pretense
  2. facade
  3. show
  4. guise
  5. act
  6. pose
  7. masquerade
Noun
  • Everything else is pretense; the diplomat is pretense; the Hand of the King, there’s a level of pretense; Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, there’s a level of pretense.
    — Matt Minton, Variety, 20 July 2026
  • When Moore finally abandons the pretense and focuses in earnest on his presidential ambitions, the damage to Maryland will be incalculable and likely irreparable.
    — Torrey Snow, Baltimore Sun, 18 July 2026
Definition of pretense
Noun
  • Cabins open to terraces overlooking the surrounding pines and exude a Wes Anderson summer camp vibe, with touches of industrial-style metal punctuating the wooden facades.
    — Lane Nieset, Travel + Leisure, 19 July 2026
  • The façade is the showpiece, but those oversize windows don’t hurt.
    — Nora DeLigter, Curbed, 17 July 2026
Definition of facade
Noun
  • Boise State football held its summer media day on Wednesday afternoon, opening up coaches and 10 players to a cascade of questions, from in-depth positional breakdowns to each player’s favorite childhood TV show.
    — Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 23 July 2026
  • Mai-Kai restaurant in Fort Lauderdale is home to the longest-running Polynesian show in the country.
    — Tracey Teo, AJC.com, 23 July 2026
Definition of show
Noun
  • Somewhere between a sandal and a ballet flat, caged silhouettes come in all manner of guises.
    — Sarah Leigh Bannerman, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 July 2026
  • Everything from the division of the Peaches and the Plums to Shamea’s tagline this season is a secret cry from Shamea to Porsha, begging for attention under the guise of her own emancipation.
    — Ile-Ife Okantah, Vulture, 29 June 2026
Definition of guise
Noun
  • David Lee Roth joined the list of acts calling off the remainder of their dates this week.
    — Chris Willman, Variety, 25 July 2026
  • Cuddly serial killer comic book Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees is heading into its final bloody act.
    — Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 25 July 2026
Definition of act
Noun
  • John Waters strikes a pose at the 2026 Mosswood Meltdown in Oakland, California on July 19.
    — Brendan Le, PEOPLE, 21 July 2026
  • Users can explore featuring different models, poses, backgrounds and visual directions.
    — Roy Stephen Canivel, Footwear News, 20 July 2026
Definition of pose
Noun
  • The yearly convention includes panel discussions, movie and television showings, an exhibitor hall, outdoor activations, a masquerade ball and more.
    — Ut Community Press, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 July 2026
  • And the leak to USA TODAY provides further evidence of the group’s careful masquerade, Tischauser, the SPLC researcher said.
    — Will Carless, USA Today, 4 June 2026
Definition of masquerade

Browse Nearby Words

character sketches
charade
charades
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Charade.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/charade. Accessed 26 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on charade

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about charade

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of aerie

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 24

Why do we say 'fly off the handle'?
See More

Popular

See More

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
chain-question-mark
Missing Link Quiz July 2026 Five seconds to figure out the word that fits bot...
See All