Synonyms of make a show

make a show

phrase

as in pretend

to take on a false or deceptive appearance

She made a show of addressing the whole audience, rather than a few like-minded folk.

Synonyms & Similar Words

• pretend
• make believe
• let on
• make out
• make a pretense
• put on an act
• put up a front
• pose
• act
• dissemble
• play
• put on
• dissimulate
• simulate
• masquerade
• affect
• assume
• conceal
• sham
• feign
• fake
• mask
• impersonate
• camouflage
• disguise
• counterfeit
• profess
• playact
• bluff
• feint

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of make a show

Daemon charged his queen with making a show of strength for all the realm to see, and her response is to once again visit the High Septon and beg for an anointing. — Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 10 Aug. 2026

And despite making a show of clashing with the Pentagon over concerns about the safe deployment of its AI systems, Anthropic also let the military use its Claude AI to select targets in Iran. — Frank Landymore, Futurism, 5 Aug. 2026

Still, the outcry—and the lack of outspoken public support even from those federations and allies that Infantino has made a show of propping up—had unusual force and breadth. — Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 1 Aug. 2026

To celebrate what makes a show like this — real collaboration, real joy, real family, falling down and getting back up. — Angelique Jackson, Variety, 31 July 2026

Hegseth even made a show of taking Kid Rock on an Apache flight afterward. — Missy Ryan, The Atlantic, 22 July 2026

Great casting can make a show that much more revealing, and the guys walking it can help sell the fantasy on offer. — Max Berlinger, Vogue, 3 July 2026

With the rising price of concert tickets, artists must work overtime to make a show worth the trip for many fans. — Nicole Fell, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019