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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The Bridge once again hosted a fashion week party in its Milan digs, with the set designed to take guests on an imaginary journey along the Tyrrhenian coast.—
Martino Carrera,
Footwear News,
29 Sep. 2025
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Soilonic is trying to make a digital token that isn’t just imaginary money.—
Alexandra Harrell,
Sourcing Journal,
24 Sep. 2025
Noun
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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
-
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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At Unbound, Griffin also oversees the Global Classmates program, which connects students in the United States with sponsored children around the world to promote empathy and global awareness through educational resources like poverty simulations and awareness trips.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
30 Sep. 2025
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Numerical simulations and a theoretical quantum model validated the experimental results, confirming that the two phonon modes were indeed in the ultrastrong coupling regime.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
30 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Viewers will also have to use their imagination to visualize the central fictional city of Baktan Cross, which is a combination of Eureka and El Paso.—
Pat Saperstein,
Variety,
27 Sep. 2025
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Oral beauty brand Moon is gearing up for the holiday season ahead with a fan-favorite fictional character.—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
26 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Second, Tesla’s training approach, shifting toward vision-only imitation learning from human camera data, represents a strategic attempt to scale skill acquisition without hand-crafting controllers for each task.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
26 Sep. 2025
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To play the role, White spent hours studying Springsteen—listening to his memoir on tape, watching old interviews—but knew to avoid imitation.—
Eric Cortellessa,
Time,
25 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Young Pokémon trainers Liko, Roy, and Dot continue their journey to find the mythical Laqua and face new challenges along the way.—
DeVonne Goode,
Parents,
25 Sep. 2025
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The note mentions that more details about Dale’s death are tucked inside more paperbacks on his shelves, thereby connecting Lee’s twin obsessions — musty old books and the mythic quest to shine light in Tulsa’s dark corners.—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
24 Sep. 2025
Noun
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If the talent agency signing comes to pass, Norwood will be one of the first AI generated actresses to get representation with a talent agency, traditionally working with real-life stars.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
27 Sep. 2025
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The film’s chilling representation of American politics may be an unintentional departure from the novel’s more whimsical energy.—
Andrew McGowan,
Variety,
26 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Make-believe.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/make-believe. Accessed 5 Oct. 2025.
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