make-believe 1 of 3

adjective

Definition of make-believenext
as in imaginary
not real and existing only in the imagination zoomed around the house in a make-believe car

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

make-believe

2 of 3

noun

as in fiction

Related Words

make believe

3 of 3

phrase

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

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 make-believe
Adjective
Tesshi Nakagawa’s scenic design is like a toy kingdom that induces the audience into a state of make-believe. — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 13 May 2026 But just as much of its humor came from portraying displays of everyday decency as the stuff of Hollywood make-believe, on par with the cinematic catharsis of a high-stakes Damon vehicle. — Erik Adams, The Atlantic, 10 May 2026
Noun
But just as much of its humor came from portraying displays of everyday decency as the stuff of Hollywood make-believe, on par with the cinematic catharsis of a high-stakes Damon vehicle. — Erik Adams, The Atlantic, 10 May 2026 All jobs have a performative aspect to them, but when people engage in make-believe in exchange for money, there’s often a devaluation of that work. — Erin Qualey, Vulture, 15 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for make-believe
Recent Examples of Synonyms for make-believe
  1. imaginary
  2. fiction
  3. fictional
  4. simulation
  5. fictitious
  6. imitation
  7. mythical
  8. representation
Adjective
  • Anyway, Will Venable has my imaginary vote, though Mike Vasil's wizardry might be the bigger reason why the White Sox are rolling.
    — Andy McCullough, New York Times, 17 July 2026
  • Her function in the movie is less goddess and more imaginary friend.
    — Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 17 July 2026
Definition of imaginary
Noun
  • The intricacy with which Whitehead details the planning and execution of this caper marks him as a top-tier researcher — he’s drawn on many primary sources to ground this work of fiction in historical fact.
    — Leigh Haber, Los Angeles Times, 20 July 2026
  • In much of literary fiction, characters and settings are developed slowly, through the gradual accrual of discrete moments that rarely stray from the mundane and the reasonable.
    — Robert Rubsam, The Atlantic, 20 July 2026
Definition of fiction
Adjective
  • Rather than shattering the illusion, the heroine invents an increasingly elaborate fictional life to protect her mother — and, ultimately, herself.
    — Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 21 July 2026
  • Her feature-length films include the documentaries The factory is full (2012) and Shores (2015), and the fictional feature Pawn Street (2017).
    — Zac Ntim, Deadline, 21 July 2026
Definition of fictional
Noun
  • Eveland and Browning say guests can tour the building, see the simulation range and watch training demonstrations.
    — Shannon Tyler, Idaho Statesman, 25 July 2026
  • By comparing their simulations with the real-world journeys of goods that washed ashore and were identified by serial number, oceanographers have helped produce increasingly precise maps of Pacific Ocean currents.
    — Alexander Klose, Scientific American, 24 July 2026
Definition of simulation
Adjective
  • The victim provided the service and was given a fictitious check as payment.
    — Anne Gelhaus, Mercury News, 17 July 2026
  • The book traces the fictitious Yeoman family’s evolution over generations from self-sufficient homesteaders to participants in global markets.
    — Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 23 June 2026
Definition of fictitious
Noun
  • Walker wore his Cardinals hat backward, chewed a big wad of bubble gum and reveled afterward in flashing his imitation Liberty Bell bling, the champions chain presented by Ryan Howard.
    — Dan Gelston, Chicago Tribune, 17 July 2026
  • The platform includes software interfaces and development tools for vision-language-action (VLA) models, reinforcement learning and imitation learning, allowing developers to move AI algorithms from virtual environments to real-world hardware.
    — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 14 July 2026
Definition of imitation
Adjective
  • Here’s everything to know about The Odyssey characters, mythical creatures and gods.
    — Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 18 July 2026
  • In fact, the mythical character of Odysseus does not deserve the blame.
    — Eliana Dockterman, Time, 17 July 2026
Definition of mythical
Noun
  • The colossal billboards by the side of highways advertising legal representation.
    — Nick Miller, New York Times, 18 July 2026
  • Photo courtesy of Easterseals For more than 40 years, the Media Access Awards has been one of the entertainment industry’s few dedicated platforms for recognizing disability representation on screen.
    — Keely Cat-Wells, Forbes.com, 18 July 2026
Definition of representation

Browse Nearby Words

make away with
make-believe
make believe
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Cite this Entry

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

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Nglish: Translation of make-believe for Spanish Speakers

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