PLAYACTING Synonyms: 87 Similar and Opposite Words

playacting 1 of 2

noun

as in pretense

a display of emotion or behavior that is insincere or intended to deceive it was clear to her friends that her reaction to the news was pure playacting

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

playacting

2 of 2

verb

present participle of playact

as in masquerading

Related Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of playacting

Noun

The incident led to Ünsal’s dismissal from the game and drew widespread criticism after replays showed Rivaldo playacting. — Andrew Pereira, Encyclopedia Britannica, 18 June 2026 Whenever the real Rhodes was bludgeoned in the ring (his injuries themselves feigned as part of pro wrestling’s playacting), the fake one came to Theresa with his medical bills. — Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 26 May 2026 Alexis Mac Allister, whose fall from grace this season has been akin to Fabinho’s stark decline in 2022-23, stupidly delayed the taking of a Villa corner with some playacting which even prompted Slot to tell him to get up. — James Pearce, New York Times, 16 May 2026 Hence the infamous playacting subplot in her 1814 novel Mansfield Park, a novel written when Austen was at her professional peak. — Emily Zarevich, JSTOR Daily, 11 Sep. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for playacting

Noun

Conference expansion has shattered pretenses to regional coherence.

— Geraldo L. Cadava, The Atlantic, 19 Sep. 2026
Cinematic pretense and the kinds political leaders and media personalities use to sell ideas are often one and the same.

— Vikram Murthi, IndieWire, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of pretense

Verb

Luann is unfazed and unmoving, cigar in hand, fedora on her head, posing for the camera despite the woman wailing from beneath her ass.

— Tom Smyth, Vulture, 28 Sep. 2026
In the photos, the teenager could be seen wearing a pink and white dress, posing in front of her outdoor dinner party.

— Hannah Sacks, PEOPLE, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of posing

Noun

And how pissed must Luann have been only two months later to find out that Carole was going to be carrying that torch right back to being the center apple of the show?

— Brian Moylan, Vulture, 5 Oct. 2026
The rare show of alignment among fierce rivals was soon countered by comments from Meta’s Zuckerberg and Nvidia’s Jensen Huang, both of whom dismissed the slowdown idea.

— Alyson Shontell, Fortune, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of show

Verb

Brown's fourth-quarter touchdown celebration included putting his hand to his crotch and then to his face before pretending to pass out.

— ABC News, ABC News, 30 Sep. 2026
If Gayle Newland had been a cis man who had seduced Miss X by pretending to be Kye Fortune, the case would have fallen outside the McNally principle, and Miss X would have had very little chance of having her complaint heard.

— S. C. Cornell, New Yorker, 29 Sep. 2026

Definition of pretending

Noun

After slogans criticizing the Sacramento State administration appeared in chalk on the facade of a 64-year-old campus building earlier this week, at least one student is now facing potential disciplinary action.

— Tarini Mehta, Sacbee.com, 3 Oct. 2026
Roses and a soft orange nod to the way light catches on its facades.

— Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of facade

Verb

Karondwa is the acting president of the party's federal executive in Butembo in North Kivu province, one of the hot spots of the outbreak.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 29 Sep. 2026
The 30-year-old actress, who was named the Chinese brand ambassador for Kors last March, made her acting debut at 10 and has played numerous roles in historical, fantasy and romantic dramas.

— Lisa Lockwood, Footwear News, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of acting

Noun

Joshua Kerry, 28, was charged with preparation of acts of terrorism between May 2024 and July 2026, including against Nigel Farage, the leader of the populist Reform UK party, according to British police and prosecutors.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 3 Oct. 2026
Clark supporters argued one game was insufficient for an ejectable non-basketball act.

— Jackson Thompson OutKick, FOXNews.com, 3 Oct. 2026

Definition of act

Verb

The Miami Hurricanes are back on the road and playing under the lights in a key Atlantic Coast Conference game.

— Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 4 Oct. 2026
And his relatives in turn gave notes to the actors playing their younger selves and were encouraged to interrogate Ba as his coming-of-age story was dramatized.

— Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 4 Oct. 2026

Definition of playing

Browse Nearby Words

playacted

playacting

playacts

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Playacting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/playacting. Accessed 6 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of playacting

noun

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

regimen

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes