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
Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 15 Aug. 2025
Jada’s living funeral was a surreal moment for Ross with her make-believe and real emotions colliding, especially with Lattimore, whom she’s grown very close to over their seven-season ride.
—Ronda Racha Penrice, HollywoodReporter, 11 Aug. 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
Around the globe, access to safe and affordable women’s healthcare is becoming a thing of make-believe, but an emerging trend in indie film has sparked short bursts of spectacular pushback.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 15 Aug. 2025
Jada’s living funeral was a surreal moment for Ross with her make-believe and real emotions colliding, especially with Lattimore, whom she’s grown very close to over their seven-season ride.
—Ronda Racha Penrice, HollywoodReporter, 11 Aug. 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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Voyager 1's approximate position lies half way along the imaginary line connecting these two stellar giants.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
25 Oct. 2025
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Not all the scares and frights and bumps in the night are imaginary on Halloween.—
Katia Hetter,
CNN Money,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
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This, the medical profession maintains, is the stuff of fiction.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
24 Oct. 2025
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These spots are all gone, but now, due in part to the rise of #BookTok, where genre fiction often goes viral, booksellers are once again getting more targeted in their approach.—
Hilton Als,
New Yorker,
24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Of course, close animal encounters aren't always fictitious.—
Kelli Bender,
PEOPLE,
21 Oct. 2025
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The Half Moon Bay weigh-off began in 1974, when the California town barely edged out Circleville, Ohio, in an amiable contest for the fictitious title of pumpkin capital of the world.—
Jennifer Borresen,
USA Today,
19 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Researchers have shown that making these changes can trigger coronal rain in simulations.—
Pranjal Malewar,
New Atlas,
27 Oct. 2025
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The sunrise simulation gradually brightens the alarm over a customizable five to 60 minutes before your set wake-up time.—
Christopher Murray
may earn a commission if you buy through our referral links. This content was created by a team that works independently from the Fox newsroom.,
FOXNews.com,
27 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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First, and perhaps most obvious, the fictional thriller draws inspiration from the Manson Family's home invasion and murder of Sharon Tate and her friends, Jay Sebring, Abigail Folger and Wojciech Frykowski, as well as Steven Parent, who was visiting the home's caretaker.—
Stephanie Sengwe,
PEOPLE,
25 Oct. 2025
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The Heart of the Ocean may be fictional, but its legend feels real—modeled loosely on the Hope Diamond.—
Lilah Ramzi,
Vogue,
25 Oct. 2025
Noun
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And don't just take it as a cheap imitation of the Italian legend; rather, a worthy alternative that is now available Stateside!—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
21 Oct. 2025
-
Meta’s model leaked just two years ago and seeded an ecosystem of imitations and refinements that moved faster than any licensing system.—
MSNBC Newsweek,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Helen wants him for an off-the-books quest to find a possibly mythical object called the Seven Five Two, and an even more off-the-books quest to find answers about a formative childhood trauma involving the Talamasca.—
Angie Han,
HollywoodReporter,
24 Oct. 2025
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Given the stakes for project proponents and opponents, and CEQA’s almost mythical status, the campaign for and against the measure could be one of the most contentious ballot battles in the state’s history.—
Dan Walters,
Oc Register,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
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If its lawyers were unable to enter federal buildings or courthouses, representation of clients before federal courts and agencies would become impossible.—
Fabio Bertoni,
New Yorker,
25 Oct. 2025
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In addition, through diplomatic channels in both Beijing and Tokyo, Japan lodges strong representations and protests, stating that maritime and scientific surveys conducted in our EEZ without Japan's consent are unacceptable and must be immediately stopped.—
Ryan Chan,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Make-believe.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/make-believe. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
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