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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for playacting
Noun
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But not everyone accepts that pretense.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
1 Sep. 2025 -
But the Jiménezes’ work does not carry the pretense of purity.—
Ana Karina Zatarain,
New Yorker,
30 Aug. 2025
Noun
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As fans scramble to catch the ball, footage shows, the ball appears to land one row in front of a woman while a man runs over and grabs it.—
Chandelis Duster,
NPR,
7 Sep. 2025
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Following the show's cancellation, Gosselaar landed several leading roles on series such as Pitch (2016), The Passage (2019), and Mixed-ish (2019–2021).—
Allison DeGrushe,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The two stuck close to each other's sides while posing for the cameras, even deciding to share a smooch to celebrate the exciting night.—
Michelle Lee,
PEOPLE,
8 Sep. 2025
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By mid-2025, lead times for large power transformers had stretched beyond 30 months, with some units requiring up to four years for delivery—posing serious risks to grid reliability and expansion.—
Robert Rapier,
Forbes.com,
7 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Yet, for some, their luxury vacations are all a facade.—
Lim Hui Jie,
CNBC,
4 Sep. 2025
-
Film Festival, shows the private turmoil behind the comedian’s affable facade.—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The challenge is to stop pretending the current tools give full control and start demanding real visibility.—
Jagadeesh Kunda,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
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Kelley susses out that Göring is pretending not to understand or speak English, and for a couple of scenes that gives the shrink a leg up.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
That brief three-month double act between an executive chairman and a CEO is now over.—
Jack Pitt-Brooke,
New York Times,
6 Sep. 2025
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Though his interests were that of a pretty typical child — computing and gaming, playing the saxophone, enjoying soccer and time with his pets — he was also known for his acts of kindness and generosity.—
Lauren Costantino
September 6,
Miami Herald,
6 Sep. 2025
Verb
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After both shows ended in 2014, Meyer focused on voice acting, lending his talents to SuperMansion (2015–2017), and Crossing Swords (2020).—
Allison DeGrushe,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 Sep. 2025
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This is the Oscar-winning director's first-ever acting Emmy nomination, and his daughter Francesca shared his emotional reaction to being nominated.—
Carson Blackwelder,
PEOPLE,
7 Sep. 2025
Noun
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As good as the car looks, especially in its open-top Volante guise, the real story can be found underneath its hood.—
Bryan Hood,
Robb Report,
4 Sep. 2025
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Now, palladium in a jar connected to nuclear fusion is being revived but in a different guise.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
29 Aug. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Playacting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/playacting. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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