as in shows
a display of emotion or behavior that is insincere or intended to deceive
although she was deeply bored, she maintained a masquerade of polite interest as her guest droned on
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Recent Examples of masquerades
Johnny C. Taylor Jr, USA Today, 24 Feb. 2026
Burnout masquerades as ambition.
—Kelly Ehlers, Rolling Stone, 10 Feb. 2026
And humiliation masquerades as justice.
—Rabbi Bruce D. Forman, Sun Sentinel, 10 Feb. 2026
The gala will conclude with rousing Cameroon and Nigerian masquerades by the Odenigbo Group.
—Rachel Bernhard, jsonline.com, 14 Jan. 2026
Noun
Bias masquerades as opinion, with no guidance and no intent to help.
—Johnny C. Taylor Jr, USA Today, 24 Feb. 2026
Burnout masquerades as ambition.
—Kelly Ehlers, Rolling Stone, 10 Feb. 2026
And humiliation masquerades as justice.
—Rabbi Bruce D. Forman, Sun Sentinel, 10 Feb. 2026
The gala will conclude with rousing Cameroon and Nigerian masquerades by the Odenigbo Group.
—Rachel Bernhard, jsonline.com, 14 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for masquerades
Noun
-
At Thunder Valley Casino Resort’s The Venue, world-class musical artists, comedians and other entertainment shows will perform this year, according to the casino’s website.—
Camila Pedrosa,
Sacbee.com,
25 Mar. 2026
-
As the crash shows, air-traffic-control staffing is crucial to aviation safety.—
Colleen Mondor,
The Atlantic,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The persistent jamming and spoofing activity in the region also poses key public safety concerns, according to Lisa Dyer, executive director of the GPS Innovation Alliance.—
Matthew Chin,
CNBC,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Officers determine whether a person poses a danger based on behavior and condition.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
But sometimes the squashing of speech can appear in other guises.—
Andrea Valdez,
The Atlantic,
14 Mar. 2026
-
This moment will come in many guises.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Like that video where Bryan Cranston impersonates Art Garfunkel at Central Park, and his bouffant gets bigger every time the camera cuts back.—
Mike Sutter,
San Antonio Express-News,
25 Feb. 2026
-
Those that fear dust mites and other allergens will be pleased to know this $40 pick from Quince impersonates hotel luxury pillows without the goose down or the price point.—
Kate McGregor,
Architectural Digest,
19 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Sofia Giulia Feriani’s 2025 research at the Technical University of Denmark documented exactly this effect—building facades acting as acoustic mirrors, amplifying sound at certain spots.—
Yook JiHun,
Popular Science,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Via Mormino Penna is one of Sicily’s most theatrical streetscapes, lined with facades adorned with apotropaic masks, grotesque faces meant to ward off evil.—
Jenn Rice,
Vogue,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
That's the county JD Vance pretends to be from.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
22 Mar. 2026
-
All about the fake Google security page Security researchers at Malwarebytes, a cybersecurity company, recently discovered a phishing website that pretends to be part of Google's account protection system.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
21 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The adults were arrested on suspicion of theft from an elder, theft by false pretenses, conspiracy, contracting without a license and other offenses.—
Tim Fang,
CBS News,
6 Mar. 2026
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Yet even as Starbucks attempts to refocus on coffee by moving away from desserts masquerading as drinks, newer chains are making no pretenses about selling beverages that can easily tide someone over through a mealtime or two.—
Yasmin Tayag,
The Atlantic,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Hsu plays Joy, a morose daughter of two Chinese immigrants.—
Rachel Syme,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
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When the Heat plays Herro and Powell together, Miami has been outscored by 26 points in 249 minutes this season.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
30 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Masquerades.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/masquerades. Accessed 30 Mar. 2026.
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