MAKE-BELIEVE Synonyms: 141 Similar and Opposite Words

make-believe 1 of 3

adjective

Definition of make-believe

as in imaginary

not real and existing only in the imagination zoomed around the house in a make-believe car

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

make-believe

2 of 3

noun

as in fiction

Related Words

make believe

3 of 3

phrase

as in pretend

to present a false appearance of He made believe he was sick to get out of going to school.

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 make-believe

Adjective

Tesshi Nakagawa’s scenic design is like a toy kingdom that induces the audience into a state of make-believe. — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 13 May 2026 But just as much of its humor came from portraying displays of everyday decency as the stuff of Hollywood make-believe, on par with the cinematic catharsis of a high-stakes Damon vehicle. — Erik Adams, The Atlantic, 10 May 2026

Noun

The rhapsodies about Willow, paired with the silence surrounding the difficult dogs, contribute to a sense of make-believe and avoidance that pervade Biden’s memoir. — Amy Davidson Sorkin, New Yorker, 9 June 2026 Johansson may have been in character while wearing the shoes, but there’s nothing make-believe about their comfort. — Averi Baudler, PEOPLE, 19 May 2026

Phrase

So in this case, let’s make believe in some timeline that didn’t happen and my wife got a manicure that day. — Joel Feder, The Drive, 29 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for make-believe

Recent Examples of Synonyms for make-believe

Adjective

Where travel still leaves room for people The goal isn't to return to some imaginary golden age of travel.

— Christopher Elliott, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026
There isn’t even a drastic generational shift between that imaginary cast and this film’s actual one.

— Guy Lodge, Variety, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of imaginary

Noun

Sanft argued his client’s account was pure fiction, and that investigators failed to quickly and vigorously corroborate it for a reason.

— Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 1 Sep. 2026
One of the fears concerning AI in fiction filmmaking is that the medium of cinema could lose the value of the empathic connection people have with other humans.

— Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of fiction

Adjective

In the footage, players follow the story of Jason and Lucia, a couple living in the fictional Vice City, who are picking up drugs, and their mission is thwarted by the police, who begin to raid the place.

— Moises Mendez II, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2026
Claire Foy will also star in the film, playing a fictional reporter of The Sun that acts as a composite of various female reporters of the time period.

— Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of fictional

Noun

The robot showed walking and body-coordination patterns that were qualitatively similar to those seen in simulation.

— Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 28 Aug. 2026
The hackers recruited the agent for hundreds of attacks by telling it the exercises were part of a simulation, Reuters reported, making their work up to 50% faster.

— Brendan Ruberry, semafor.com, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of simulation

Adjective

The April indictment accused the organization of secretly funneling millions of dollars in donor funds to informants embedded in violent extremist movements, using bank accounts opened for fictitious companies.

— Arie Perliger, The Conversation, 31 Aug. 2026
The inaugural Ig Nobel Prize ceremony honored three fictitious achievers; all recipients in subsequent years (barring a 1994 award based on inaccurate reporting) have been real people.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of fictitious

Noun

The suspect was carrying an imitation Glock-style pellet gun.

— Tania Azhang, Sacbee.com, 29 Aug. 2026
In the cold open of the first-season finale, the characters go through their backlog of snail mail, rushing through a series of updates on the show’s lingering story lines in imitation of a clip-show episode.

— Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of imitation

Adjective

Morris’s book focuses only on the representation of real animals; cataloguing mythic and hybrid creatures would take another volume entirely.

— Kelly Presutti, ARTnews.com, 28 Aug. 2026
Equally jubilant and terrifying, his size brings both John and Jim Ross to this mythic quality.

— Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of mythical

Noun

Bean urged officials to commit in writing that the library system will provide or fund legal representation for employees who may be targeted under Act 372.

— Joseph Flaherty, Arkansas Online, 28 Aug. 2026
Morris’s book focuses only on the representation of real animals; cataloguing mythic and hybrid creatures would take another volume entirely.

— Kelly Presutti, ARTnews.com, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of representation

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make away with

make-believe

make believe

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Style

“Make-believe.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/make-believe. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of make-believe

adjective

noun

phrase

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