role-play

verb

Definition of role-playnext
as in to enact

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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 role-play KPop Demon Hunters role-play items from Hasbro include such NERF items as Rumi’s Four Tiger Sword, Mira’s Curved Moon Sword and Zoey’s Spirit Blades, as well as HUNTR/X and Saja Boys Electronic Light Sticks. — Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026 Throw in high steal rates the past two seasons in a solid conference, solid defensive work overall, plus-rebounding for his position and his ability to get free points in transition, and the outlines of a role-playing wing are there. — John Hollinger, New York Times, 20 June 2026 On the gacha role-playing game NTE, the bright colors had a vibrancy that won me over a bit more, even if Crimson Desert didn’t look that realistic. — John Brandon, Wired News, 19 June 2026 But some users find clever ways to sidestep those controls, by disguising sensitive requests as role-playing games, poems or pictures, with many swapping tips and ideas online. — Kevin Schaul, Washington Post, 18 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for role-play
Recent Examples of Synonyms for role-play
  1. enact
  2. act out
  3. pantomime
  4. dramatize
  5. playact
  6. depict
  7. represent
  8. take on
Verb
  • People who had already turned 55 when the law was enacted also were given until August 2021 to file lawsuits, no matter when the alleged abuse occurred.
    — John Hanna, Los Angeles Times, 25 Oct. 2026
  • In the same era, Democrats in Congress enacted a raft of social programs that would become part of the language, such as Medicare and Medicaid.
    — Ron Elving, NPR, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of enact
Verb
  • Jenn asks Ryan if Dominic acting out at school has anything to do with her divorce.
    — Brian Moylan, Vulture, 30 Oct. 2026
  • This is vital, as sleepers might otherwise act out their dreams and harm themselves or others.
    — RJ Mackenzie, Popular Science, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of act out
Verb
  • The 1988 Cy Young award winner deftly explained what made Ohtani’s new curve so unhittable, even going as far as pantomiming the throwing motion and grip to more effectively illustrate his point.
    — Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 22 Apr. 2026
  • Before a Lakers win in Denver this season, James found one of his friends, Nuggets assistant Jared Dudley, and pantomimed a crank with one hand while raising his middle finger of the other.
    — Dan Woike, New York Times, 3 Mar. 2026
Definition of pantomime
Verb
  • Cooke does his best to dramatize these origins, often through dry humor, but the personalities involved don’t quite rise to the level of an Aaron Sorkin drama.
    — Julian Lucas, New Yorker, 21 Oct. 2026
  • When the third act slows down to dramatize the hours of Altman’s ouster from OpenAI, Guadagnino has almost no way of generating the sort of ice-blooded intrigue that runs in Fincher’s veins.
    — David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of dramatize
Verb
  • Today, Margaret would be playacting her own massacre in active shooter drills at school.
    — Petula Dvorak, Washington Post, 1 May 2023
  • Trump’s modus, as ever, was to playact; his game has always been improv.
    — Joe Klein, Washington Post, 12 Jan. 2023
Definition of playact
Verb
  • Some disease models depict amyloid accumulation as downstream of failures in the cellular machinery that processes and recycles proteins.
    — Manvir Singh, New Yorker, 2 Nov. 2026
  • The small-boat crossings have been depicted as a crisis by politicians including Nigel Farage of the hard-right party Reform UK, and have been used as a rallying point by anti-immigration activists.
    — Jill Lawless, Los Angeles Times, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of depict
Verb
  • Its results represent a record for optical modulation bandwidth among quantum well LEDs.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 30 Oct. 2026
  • The last snapshot of that data, published in September 2024, showed there were nearly 428,000 Black federal employees, representing about 19% of the total workforce.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of represent
Verb
  • Directly upstairs, guests can delight in an elevated take on a sports bar at Louis’ House of Bourbon.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 Nov. 2026
  • The proposal comes as competition intensifies between DeepSeek and US rivals OpenAI and Anthropic to develop AI systems that can take on increasingly complex software engineering tasks.
    — Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 1 Nov. 2026
Definition of take on

Browse Nearby Words

role models
role-play
role-played
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Cite this Entry

“Role-play.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/role-play. Accessed 4 Nov. 2026.

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