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
-
Currently, the Northeast is reporting the most ER visits for tick bites, followed by the Midwest, Southeast, West and South Central regions, respectively, CDC data shows.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 Apr. 2026
-
So far this year, nearly 70 million filers have received tax returns, agency data shows.—
Mary Cunningham,
CBS News,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Harrison Ford poses at the SAG-AFTRA Foundation Conversations Presents Shrinking event in Los Angeles on April 12.—
Katie Hill,
PEOPLE,
16 Apr. 2026
-
Scientists are studying the ecosystems of Cabo de Gata-Níjar Natural Park as climate change poses risks to the region’s biodiversity, including the possibility that species may become extinct before they are fully documented.—
Hanna Wickes,
Miami Herald,
15 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
By the time my story about him was published in the November 2023 issue of Vanity Fair, Aryeh Dodelson, and all of his guises, had disappeared from the face of the earth.—
Nate Freeman,
Vanity Fair,
3 Apr. 2026
-
In its many guises, idolatry has survived, despite regular and often cataclysmic proof of its dangers, for centuries and many people will consider a much-larger-than-life golden statue of a president to be perfectly splendid.—
Culture Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
But only male pilots can apply—so Wooram goes full Twelfth Night and impersonates her twin brother Boram, with his blessing.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
1 Apr. 2026
-
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
Noun
-
Webbing from grand facades were narrow streets where cats sunned in doorways and artisans claimed corners for their craft, unfolding a space of inclusive second chances.—
Marlise Kast-Myers,
Boston Herald,
12 Apr. 2026
-
Completed around 1570 in northern Italy, the Villa Rotonda features symmetrical facades and harmonious proportions that have been equated with Renaissance humanism and rationalism.—
Kevin D. Murphy,
The Conversation,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
This team is improved, has a deeper roster, no longer pretends Kris Bryant is a major league player and features more functional pitchers (No, seriously).—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
4 Apr. 2026
-
The narrator of Lerner’s tight, astonishingly trenchant new book pretends to record part of his conversations with his elderly mentor and then uses his memory to write a profile.—
Bethanne Patrick,
Los Angeles Times,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
While some of the women who came here willingly embraced ISIS ideology and passed it on to their children, many others say they were trafficked or lured to the region through ignorance or under false pretenses.—
Jane Arraf,
NPR,
11 Apr. 2026
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Court records said Dintaman, 47, pleaded guilty last October to one count each of conspiracy to commit false pretenses over $100,000, uttering and publishing, forgery and using a computer to commit a crime.—
Nick Lentz,
CBS News,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Clark, 24, who plays guard for the Indiana Fever, showed her support via a brief message in the post’s comments section.—
Toria Sheffield,
PEOPLE,
13 Apr. 2026
-
Romvari herself grew up on an island in British Columbia, and the natural landscape plays a significant role in her movie’s textures and tones.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
12 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Masquerades.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/masquerades. Accessed 19 Apr. 2026.
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