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
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Recent Examples of playacting
Emily Zarevich, JSTOR Daily, 11 Sep. 2025
Noun
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
-
This shocking cowardice and sheer abandonment of any pretense of ethics or values are rendered even more shameful when considering that Noem was brought down by polls, likely more than anything else.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
10 Mar. 2026
-
What is beauty if not precisely the property that provokes us to abandon all pretense of analytic remove in our desperation to draw closer?—
Becca Rothfeld,
New Yorker,
7 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
In each show, the two nitwits would set out on some caper, which would inevitably go horribly wrong, leaving them broke, or tied up, or in jail, or hanging over a cliff, or some other situation of great peril.—
John Cassidy,
New Yorker,
13 Mar. 2026
-
With style, grace and a lot of love, the Lower Merion High School figure skating duo of Justin and Suri Lue know how to put on a cutting-edge show.—
Krystle Rich,
CBS News,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The 49-year-old actress took to Instagram to share a photo of herself posing on the shore in a strapless blue bikini with the ocean behind her.—
Lori A Bashian,
FOXNews.com,
11 Mar. 2026
-
In today’s case, by claiming that the Iranian regime was posing an imminent threat to the United States, the president can more easily circumvent congressional approval for military action and then turn to Congress after the fact if further action is needed.—
Charlie Hunt,
The Conversation,
11 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The façade recalls traditional earthen walls and is studded with tile fragments and artifacts unearthed during construction.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
11 Mar. 2026
-
While this might create a show-stopping facade, bigger isn’t always better.—
Kristine Gill,
Better Homes & Gardens,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
City Hall needs to stop pretending the job is getting done and just do it.—
Boston Herald editorial staff,
Boston Herald,
7 Mar. 2026
-
Scammers are sending emails to residents involved in planning, zoning or land-use applications pretending to be Forest Lake city planning and zoning staff members, the city said Friday.—
Kristi Miller,
Twin Cities,
6 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Emirati authorities have warned Iranian officials that such a move was under consideration, the newspaper said, citing people familiar with the discussions, although no decision on whether, or when, to act has been reached.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
6 Mar. 2026
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The government insists the case has nothing to do with a free press, saying the defendants used news reporting as a pretext for years to commit acts that harmed China and Hong Kong.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The Chinese company would be acting as a passive financial investor, the people said, asking not to be identified because the matter is private.—
Dong Cao,
Bloomberg,
9 Mar. 2026
-
The directive banned local law enforcement from acting on warrants of removal and prohibited ICE agents from accessing Fairfax County police buildings.—
Mia Cathell,
The Washington Examiner,
9 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Emma Roberts has tested nearly every possible blonde, and this bright, warm oatmeal suits her complexion while honoring the old money trend in personalized guise.—
Calin Van Paris,
InStyle,
3 Mar. 2026
-
This moment will come in many guises.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Playacting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/playacting. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
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