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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Perhaps Posey will look into that now that the pretense of the campaign has been lost.—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
Mercury News,
5 June 2025 -
UConn is already closing small classes and programs on the pretense of efficiency, while asking faculty to teach increasingly larger classes.—
Letters to the Editor,
Hartford Courant,
1 June 2025
Noun
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Earlier on Friday, organizers suspended shows due to weather around 1 p.m. and evacuated Centeroo shortly after.—
Steven J. Horowitz,
Variety,
14 June 2025
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Burns departed the show in 2002 and was replaced by Donovan Patton and later, Joshua Dela Cruz, the show's current host.—
Jessica Wang,
EW.com,
14 June 2025
Verb
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While posing for photos at the event, Princess Charlene was joined by filmmaker Blanca Li, and her sister-in-law Princess Caroline of Hanover, among others.—
Julia Teti,
Footwear News,
31 Mar. 2025
-
Artists, designers, stylists, actors and musicians came out from all corners of the industry, posing on the red carpet and dancing to the sounds of Star Amerasu, the evening’s DJ.—
Julissa James,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Drop the facade to create space for genuine connection.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes.com,
5 June 2025
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The damage to the facade appears mostly cosmetic, but the threat to the priceless VHS tapes, DVDs, Blu-rays, and more media locked inside was enough to close the shop for several days.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
3 June 2025
Verb
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This prompt gives you enough talking points to contribute thoughtfully without pretending to be an expert.—
Dr. Diane Hamilton,
Forbes.com,
4 Apr. 2025
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Interspersed in the narrative, there are South Asian folktales about a jackal who is punished for pretending to be a king and a foolish man who puts all his eggs in a basket.—
Malaka Gharib,
NPR,
21 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Soon after, Nifty gets a potentially career making gig as the opening act for a singer at Havana’s best hotel.—
Tom Teicholz,
Forbes.com,
15 June 2025
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Weddings, like families, are built one choice, one gesture, one loving act at a time.—
Jason Mitchell Kahn,
People.com,
14 June 2025
Verb
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When the acting dream started Growing up in Sacramento, Smalls was a three-sport athlete in high school attending West Campus, Rosemont and Foothill in North Highlands.—
Marcus D. Smith,
Sacramento Bee,
25 Mar. 2025
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Right before graduation, Smalls found a two-year program in the William Esper Studio in New York City which teaches acting techniques such as the Meisner Technique.—
Marcus D. Smith,
Sacramento Bee,
25 Mar. 2025
Noun
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This tactic is sometimes used to justify letting an employee go under the guise of poor performance.—
Sho Dewan,
Forbes.com,
24 May 2025
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The designer, known for his maximalist, gender-fluid creations, sees his role as providing a bridge to allow people to explore apparently imaginary identities by slipping into new guises.—
Joelle Diderich,
Footwear News,
23 May 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Playacting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/playacting. Accessed 18 Jun. 2025.
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