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
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His memoir told of workhouse guards beating prisoners on the least pretense, and of one guard who regularly shoved prisoners down flights of stairs.—
Equal Justice Initiative,
USA Today,
6 Nov. 2025
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The Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime said in a May report that women from more than 20 African countries had been recruited under false pretences to make drones for Russia’s war.—
Reuters 16 hr ago,
CNN Money,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
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In a recent Instagram post, Kardashian laughed off negative reviews of the show, which also stars Sarah Paulson, Naomi Watts and Glenn Close, has been receiving from fans.—
Lori A Bashian,
FOXNews.com,
9 Nov. 2025
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And the team behind the show, speaking to The Hollywood Reporter at Monday’s New York premiere, teased that the audience will not be able to predict what happens.—
Hilary Lewis,
HollywoodReporter,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
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After his death, Aldean took to Instagram to pay tribute to the Turning Point USA CEO, sharing a photo of him and his wife posing alongside Kirk.—
Lori A Bashian,
FOXNews.com,
8 Nov. 2025
-
After posing on the red carpet, Brown, Harbour and the rest of the cast took the stage inside the Chinese Theatre, where they were introduced by the series’ creators, Matt and Ross Duffer.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
8 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
While no major changes to the building's facade are anticipated, the project calls for a one-story addition to its north annex.—
Hannah Kirby,
jsonline.com,
6 Nov. 2025
-
The money, the success — all a facade.—
Becca Longmire,
PEOPLE,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
However, Cena outsmarted him by grabbing the chair, throwing it next to Dom, and pretending to be down on the mat.—
Matthew Couden,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Nov. 2025
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In the 43-part series, Monroe calls several churches and other places of worship pretending to be a mother in need of formula for her baby.—
Marina Johnson,
Louisville Courier Journal,
11 Nov. 2025
Noun
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But inside the party’s campaign circles, few doubt that Newsom’s next act is already well underway.—
Samantha-Jo Roth,
The Washington Examiner,
7 Nov. 2025
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There are also numerous acts looking to win a Grammy for the first time or the first time in a long time.—
Jazz Monroe,
Pitchfork,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
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During takeoff and subsonic flight, for example, an ACE can open extra bypass ducts, effectively acting like a turbofan, quieter and efficient.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Nov. 2025
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Outside of acting, Swit was a painter and a vocal animal rights activist.—
Angela Andaloro,
PEOPLE,
8 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Several actors donned the iconic guise of Ghostface in the Scream franchise, but one of the most intriguing is Billy Loomis (Skeet Ulrich) in the original film.—
Steven Thrash,
Entertainment Weekly,
24 Oct. 2025
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In this guise, Saverino is breathless with excitement.—
Christopher Smith,
Oc Register,
14 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Playacting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/playacting. Accessed 12 Nov. 2025.
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