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
Trump’s modus, as ever, was to playact; his game has always been improv.
—Joe Klein, Washington Post, 12 Jan. 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
In a twist, The Sims is now a way to playact not just an alternate life, but any life at all.
—Kaitlyn Tiffany, The Atlantic, 19 Apr. 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
Trump’s modus, as ever, was to playact; his game has always been improv.
—Joe Klein, Washington Post, 12 Jan. 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
In a twist, The Sims is now a way to playact not just an alternate life, but any life at all.
—Kaitlyn Tiffany, The Atlantic, 19 Apr. 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
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Danielle Panabaker Another Bella option Meyer posed was Danielle Panabaker, who had risen to fame for Disney movies like Stuck in the Suburbs and Sky High.—
Emily Blackwood,
People.com,
2 May 2025
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John Ratcliffe, the CIA director, has pledged to make the threat posed by China a top priority and vowed to expand the agency’s focus on Beijing.—
Nectar Gan,
CNN Money,
2 May 2025
Verb
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His approach emphasizes the importance of doing fewer things at a natural pace and shifting away from hyper-visible activity that often masquerades as productivity.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
14 Apr. 2025
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The next generation will not inherit a society built on genuine understanding and progress, but one defined by ideological extremism masquerading as compassion.—
Kevin Waldman,
Twin Cities,
10 Apr. 2025
Verb
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On Friday night, during rounds two and three of the draft, Sanders received a call from someone pretending to be New Orleans Saints general manager Mickey Loomis.—
Joseph Wilkinson,
New York Daily News,
28 Apr. 2025
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After watching a movie with Stoddart, the teenage boys pretended to leave, only to sneak back into the house through the basement shortly after.—
Jordana Comiter,
People.com,
28 Apr. 2025
Verb
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These fraudulent texts generally try to impersonate the toll service in each state.—
Kendrick Marshall,
Sacbee.com,
30 Apr. 2025
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Attackers have been observed impersonating the FBI’s own Internet Crime Complaint Center in hacking scams.—
Davey Winder,
Forbes.com,
28 Apr. 2025
Verb
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An effective leader’s true test lies in acting on this feedback.—
Mamie Jones,
Forbes.com,
29 Apr. 2025
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How to act during strong winds Take shelter: Immediately go inside a sturdy building during a high wind warning or severe thunderstorm warning and move to an interior room or basement.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
29 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Vick had a career-high 540 yards rushing in 1988 and played only four NFL seasons.—
Jim Reineking,
USA Today,
22 Apr. 2025
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The talented corner had a chance to build his draft stock even more in 2024, but unfortunately, Revel only played in three games due to an injury.—
Nicholas Creel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Some firms, however, have more adaptable structures that allow for individual initiatives and self-managing networks of autonomous teams, that are assembled and dissembled as needs are met.—
Joe McKendrick,
Forbes.com,
26 Apr. 2025
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The Kill or Capture Presidency You’d like your government to tell you the truth, and the government dissembled repeatedly after the raid about what the rules of engagement were.—
Aryeh Neier,
The New York Review of Books,
3 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Jenna Bush Hager Says Daughter Mila Got 'Overwhelmed' by Secret Service Spending Time with First Lady Laura Bush Guthrie's carousel also featured a picture of the girls at the end of the party, posing on a red truck while Mila feigned a yawn.—
Hannah Sacks,
People.com,
13 Apr. 2025
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Putin is not feigning peace to stay on Trump’s good side merely to gobble up more Ukrainian territory.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Playact.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/playact. Accessed 5 May. 2025.
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