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

Relevance

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
In the pretend kitchen, with the make-believe food and the fireless flames, there is something for everyone. — Hannah Engler Harvey, Longreads, 30 July 2026 Beginning in 1999, when the girls are just nine, Sanguinetti captures their childhood games of make-believe slowly giving way to the weight of adulthood – work, family, motherhood and diverging paths. — Leo Barraclough, Variety, 16 July 2026
Phrase
In fact, she’s cosplayed as various personas, real and make believe, many a time, often with Downs by her side. — Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 14 Sep. 2026 So in this case, let’s make believe in some timeline that didn’t happen and my wife got a manicure that day. — Joel Feder, The Drive, 29 July 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
  • The book used an imaginary dialogue between two women to explain the principles of economics, collecting the ideas of the new science together in a way that had never before been attempted.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Bill Irwin isn’t going anywhere — knock on all available wood — except quickly to the imaginary bathroom just off stage right several times a night as his character’s regimen of enemas kicks in.
    — Sara Holdren, Vulture, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of imaginary
Noun
  • Installations blur the line between archival documentation and fiction.
    — Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Goebbels interviewed Wessel’s grieving mother and wrote of Jaenichen and Wessel as childhood sweethearts, as though their story was from romance fiction.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of fiction
Adjective
  • The latest season, currently being aired, depicts a fictional Chinese intelligence agency capturing and torturing some of the Japanese spies.
    — Reuters, NBC news, 29 Oct. 2026
  • To make the investigation personal, Ashton is using the cheerleaders’ photos as suspect pictures, while co-captain Mackenzie has supplied fun facts for their fictional police statements.
    — Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of fictional
Noun
  • The proof of concept combines robotic manipulation, AI and virtual simulation to explore how robots can pick components from containers and arrange them in the correct order for vehicle assembly.
    — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 29 Oct. 2026
  • But the company warns that, as simulations run longer, details and object permanence can shift over time.
    — Jay Peters, The Verge, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of simulation
Adjective
  • This Lincolnian view of the war—that the United States was perpetual and that the Confederate States of America was a fictitious, farcical nation—has led to various historical interpretations ever since, among historians and laypeople alike.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 19 Oct. 2026
  • The series will be set in a fictitious Barneys in Beverly Hills, not New York, and the real founding family of the retailer, the Pressman family, has no involvement, the spokesperson said.
    — Jean E. Palmieri, Footwear News, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of fictitious
Noun
  • Instead, the rest of the world must learn from China without mistaking adaptation for imitation.
    — Ruby Wang, semafor.com, 27 Oct. 2026
  • The team that opened the season as the overwhelming favorite to win Super Bowl LXI continued to look like a cheap imitation.
    — Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of imitation
Adjective
  • The rooms Even the most economical rooms are on point, continuing that mythic, sultry vibe that’s consistent across the resort.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Also as is custom, adults will fret about the mostly mythical dangers children may face.
    — Muizz Akhtar, Vox, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of mythical
Noun
  • Today, this Chilean territory is essentially an open-air archaeological museum, with many of its enigmatic moai (representations of Polynesian ancestors) returned to their upright positions following seven decades of restoration.
    — Mark Johanson, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Oct. 2026
  • There is an opportunity to think more holistically about this, and to build it into the process from the outset, rather than treating representation as a final decision made in the days leading up to a show.
    — Elektra Kotsoni, Vogue, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of representation

Browse Nearby Words

make away with
make-believe
make believe
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Make-believe.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/make-believe. Accessed 2 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of satiate

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Pwn, Skibidi, Girlboss and Other Words Added to the 2026 SCRABBLE Dictionary

Ten More Words from Taylor Swift Songs

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
couple-laugh-cafe
Quiz: Foreign Phrases You Should Know Check out your bona fides and avoid any faux pas.
See All