as in imaginary
not real and existing only in the imagination
zoomed around the house in a make-believe car
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
make believe
2 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
as in fiction
Related Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of make-believe
Stephanie Madsen, The Conversation, 22 July 2025
Over the weekend, fan pages salivated over make-believe crossovers and posse cuts, not really considering the prospect of this being purely a solo album.
—Olivier Lafontant, Pitchfork, 21 July 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
Adjective
Solitary play might be a lot more fun if a make-believe teammate could provide an assist, or an invisible coach could appear and shout instructions during practice.
—Stephanie Madsen, The Conversation, 22 July 2025
Over the weekend, fan pages salivated over make-believe crossovers and posse cuts, not really considering the prospect of this being purely a solo album.
—Olivier Lafontant, Pitchfork, 21 July 2025
Phrase
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for make-believe
Adjective
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There is another way to identify and engage with subcultures that doesn’t begin with constructing imaginary segments.—
Kian Bakhtiari,
Forbes.com,
31 Aug. 2025
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Now it's woke again for trying to wipe an imaginary farmer from its logo.—
Neal Rubin,
Freep.com,
28 Aug. 2025
Noun
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There are no sections that go entirely unloved by our staff, but some favorites include literary fiction, cookbooks, sci fi and fantasy and all things kids' books.—
American Booksellers Association,
USA Today,
5 Sep. 2025
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Such subtlety may not necessarily be what readers—perhaps American readers, in particular—expect from political fiction, which can have a reputation for being didactic and heavy-handed, designed to beat readers over the head, as if anything political were made in the mode of Soviet realism.—
Lily Meyer,
The Atlantic,
5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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As Newton soon learned, there is a long runway between playing a fictitious, Regency-era ladies’ man and becoming one of the most recognizable designers in pop culture.—
José Criales-Unzueta,
Vogue,
5 Sep. 2025
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The film is set in New Mexico, in the fictitious title town—population of two thousand four hundred and thirty-five, according to a road sign—where the election year sees the mayor also up for reëlection.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
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However, the specific functions of DSE — design, simulation and experimentation in support of helicopters, advanced rotorcraft, drones and other vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft — would be significantly impaired.—
Mike Hirschberg,
Forbes.com,
1 Sep. 2025
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Watch On For each mission simulation, one astronaut pilots the aircraft while another charts the landing area, marking key landmarks, identifying potential hazards and helping to track the flight path.—
Samantha Mathewson,
Space.com,
1 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Jessica Simpson, Ashlee Simpson, and Ciara, along with Netflix's KPop Demon Hunters stars EJAE, REI AMI and Audrey Nuna, who make up the fictional group Huntr/x will serve as presenters throughout the evening.—
Marina Watts,
PEOPLE,
7 Sep. 2025
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Binge the autumn episodes or watch the whole thing again for the millionth time to enjoy a fictional fall getaway.—
Toni Fitzgerald,
Forbes.com,
6 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Sleep-mimicking anesthetics, like Dex, don’t produce a perfect imitation.—
RJ Mackenzie,
Popular Science,
3 Sep. 2025
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The Residences’ partners insisted wood be wood, leather be leather, and plastic should never be a faux substitute because the ultra rich instantly spot imitations.—
Lilian Raji,
Forbes.com,
30 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Over at Metropolitan State University, the on-campus gallery is presenting works from five Twin Cities Latino artists working across paintings, puppetry, photography and more focused on bestiarios, or fantastical, mythical beasts.—
Jared Kaufman,
Twin Cities,
7 Sep. 2025
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Renewal Through Setback Erik Marthon Olsen of Laerdal Invest chose the phoenix, the mythical bird that rises from its own ashes.—
Francois Botha,
Forbes.com,
7 Sep. 2025
Noun
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There is no direct franchisee representation, although franchisees generate the overwhelming majority of the system’s revenue.—
Jim Osman,
Forbes.com,
6 Sep. 2025
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Depending on how things shake out in court, representation could get messy for west Charlotte’s City Council District 3.—
Nick Sullivan,
Charlotte Observer,
6 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Make-believe.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/make-believe. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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