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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of make-believe
Vulture Editors, Vulture, 23 July 2025
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
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
The visual style is graphic and minimal — legs are sticks, bodies are basically balls — and Quack’s curmudgeonly disposition provides just the right amount of vinegar, which may be why, long after my daughter has moved out of the neighborhood of make-believe, she’s still entertained by Peep.
—Vulture Editors, Vulture, 23 July 2025
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
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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While their mother is not in the picture, Judy seeks guidance from her boss, Alyson (Megan Mullally), and her imaginary friend, Alanis Morissette (voicing herself), who appears to her in the Northern Lights.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
3 Oct. 2025
-
The opportunities for newcomers to be in larger meetings may have been more imaginary than real.—
Diane Brady,
Fortune,
2 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Successful or not, the fact that alternatives exist at all suggests virtual particles might be useful fiction rather than physical truth.—
Dipangkar Dutta,
The Conversation,
3 Oct. 2025
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As fiction and technology intersect, the project opens new terrain for narrative experimentation and audience engagement.—
Anna Marie de la Fuente,
Variety,
3 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Garcia-Hernandez allegedly has convictions for giving fictitious information, evading arrest, driving while intoxicated and fleeing police.—
Lauren Villagran,
USA Today,
26 Sep. 2025
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Supervisors Janet Nguyen and Don Wagner raised concerns at the board’s Tuesday meeting about fictitious registrations following recent news of a dog that was registered to vote in two recent state elections and a lawsuit by the federal government over noncitizen voter records.—
Claire Wang,
Oc Register,
24 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Students of the program learn in classroom settings as well as a CVS pharmacy simulation that teaches everything from how to run a cash register to medicine stocking, warnings and side effects.—
Fousia Abdullahi,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
7 Oct. 2025
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Humanoids often lose balance because their training data comes from videos and simulations.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
7 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The winning formula had viewers returning to the show's fictional Louisiana town long after Edward and Bella had their happily ever after.—
Matt Cabral,
Entertainment Weekly,
4 Oct. 2025
-
Does their fictional status matter?—
Dipangkar Dutta,
The Conversation,
3 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Jane's chimp imitation was an easy choice to hook the average, even mildly interested, reader.—
Ron Arias,
PEOPLE,
5 Oct. 2025
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But Swift’s work with Jack Antonoff slipped into a too-reliable throwback synth-pop aesthetic that doesn’t feel fresh after years of iterations and imitations.—
Craig Jenkins,
Vulture,
3 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Visitors can see the Headless Horseman Bridge and statue, and even eat a burger named after the mythical character.—
Lauren Dana Ellman,
Travel + Leisure,
5 Oct. 2025
-
Images of mythical creatures — goblins, dragons, flying horses — flash behind her.—
Lisa Gutierrez,
Kansas City Star,
3 Oct. 2025
Noun
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But there is at least one cost to not having Republican representation, says Bradley Smith, who served as a Republican appointee on the commission from 2000 to 2005 and is now chair of the Institute for Free Speech.—
Ashley Lopez,
NPR,
4 Oct. 2025
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In the 2025 election, Takaichi appeared to promise an improvement in Japan’s treatment of women by promising Nordic-like female representation in her Cabinet and LDP executive committee.—
Chad de Guzman,
Time,
4 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Make-believe.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/make-believe. Accessed 11 Oct. 2025.
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