as in to pose
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Recent Examples of playact
Today, Margaret would be playacting her own massacre in active shooter drills at school.
—
Petula Dvorak, Washington Post, 1 May 2023
Trixie advises Alma to playact highness to flummox E.B.
—Matt Zoller Seitz, Vulture, 18 Dec. 2021
Today, this dynamic lives on in the form of Roblox strip clubs, where young people — mostly, minors — playact at adult sexuality.
—Ej Dickson, Rolling Stone, 12 Sep. 2021
The world had first required her to playact as a man.
—Will Stephenson, Harper's Magazine, 15 Sep. 2020
Yona has it better than the locals who have agreed to playact, and likely die, in Mui’s fake new disaster.
—Madeline Leung Coleman, The Atlantic, 13 Aug. 2020
Cloud is almost childlike, a boy playacting at being a warrior and not always nailing the part.
—Julie Muncy, Wired, 10 Apr. 2020
Petula Dvorak, Washington Post, 1 May 2023
Trixie advises Alma to playact highness to flummox E.B.
—Matt Zoller Seitz, Vulture, 18 Dec. 2021
Today, this dynamic lives on in the form of Roblox strip clubs, where young people — mostly, minors — playact at adult sexuality.
—Ej Dickson, Rolling Stone, 12 Sep. 2021
The world had first required her to playact as a man.
—Will Stephenson, Harper's Magazine, 15 Sep. 2020
Yona has it better than the locals who have agreed to playact, and likely die, in Mui’s fake new disaster.
—Madeline Leung Coleman, The Atlantic, 13 Aug. 2020
Cloud is almost childlike, a boy playacting at being a warrior and not always nailing the part.
—Julie Muncy, Wired, 10 Apr. 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for playact
Verb
-
The project posed several issues for an artist who had always emphasized clarity and simplicity in his solitary picture-taking.—
James Quandt,
Artforum,
2 June 2026
-
These conditions pose challenges for travel, so exercise extra caution on the road or consider postponing your trip if possible.—
Bay Area Weather Report,
Mercury News,
2 June 2026
Verb
-
For his part, Amato was a techno sophisticate masquerading as a party monster.—
Walden Green,
Pitchfork,
23 May 2026
-
Conspiracy of data Whenever Americans are hungry for answers, platforms such as these can more easily masquerade as objective data analysis tools.—
Matthew N. Hannah,
The Conversation,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
To pretend that the Fed somehow escapes this absolute is not only false, but also a non sequitur.—
John Tamny,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2026
-
Two, people might pretend to be different characters or scenarios, which can add excitement.—
Noelle Harff,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
So don't go off topic, don't impersonate anyone, and don't get your facts wrong.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
27 May 2026
-
He was booked for burglary, elder abuse, embezzlement and impersonating a contractor.—
Matthew Rodriguez,
CBS News,
27 May 2026
Verb
-
Even a middle school student would perceive a stark difference between someone who voices a bogus theory and someone who acts on it.—
DP Opinion,
Denver Post,
31 May 2026
-
Zoe remembered more about how her sisters acted in losses than in victories.—
Ethan Hanson,
Daily News,
30 May 2026
Verb
-
Sometimes there would be groups of young men along the sidewalks by the entrance to the pool, playing a game with coins thrown against a wall.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 June 2026
-
More screen time is given over to her burgeoning friendship with firebrand suffragette Mary, played by singer Lily Allen in a deliberately anachronistic performance — her forthright speech and manner beamed in directly from the 21st century.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
3 June 2026
Verb
-
Instead, whole grains and foods are dissembled into molecules which, with the help of artificial colorings, flavorings and gluelike emulsifiers, are heated, pounded, shaped or extruded into any food a manufacturer can dream up.—
Sandee LaMotte,
CNN Money,
29 Apr. 2026
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When McKenzie asks him how much he’s contributed to the coffers of politicians, his dodging of the question is pure dissembling theater.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Bohm then feigned a throw toward first before pulling the ball in, turning and throwing to second.—
Kevin Acee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
3 June 2026
-
Most artists spend enormous energy maintaining that closeness — or at least feigning it.—
Jeff Benjamin,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Playact.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/playact. Accessed 4 Jun. 2026.
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