as in imaginary
not real and existing only in the imagination zoomed around the house in a make-believe car
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in fiction
Related Words
make believe
3 of 3phrase
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
Julie Hinds, Detroit Free Press, 17 Mar. 2023 The internet provided a fertile new stage for my proclivity for make-believe. —Kira Homsher, Longreads, 14 Mar. 2023
Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Feb. 2026 Now, a new study suggests that such make-believe play is not a uniquely human talent, but a skill that great apes also possess. —Amarachi Orie, CNN Money, 9 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for make-believe
Adjective
Yet in the past, intimate scenes in theater, film and television were rarely treated with the same mindfulness as a make-believe duel. —Julie Hinds, Detroit Free Press, 17 Mar. 2023 The internet provided a fertile new stage for my proclivity for make-believe. —Kira Homsher, Longreads, 14 Mar. 2023
Noun
Park Güell is an almost make-believe landscape, home to Barcelona’s famous mosaic lizard—the image on a thousand postcards—plus spiral towers that look like fairground slides. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Feb. 2026 Now, a new study suggests that such make-believe play is not a uniquely human talent, but a skill that great apes also possess. —Amarachi Orie, CNN Money, 9 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for make-believe
Recent Examples of Synonyms for make-believe
Adjective
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And so the super, super devoted fans really do know each other and really are jockeying with each other for position in a way that feels both real and imaginary.— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 9 Apr. 2026
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No borders and a thin blue line Viewing the Earth from space, White highlights, drives home that the borders that mark our maps are largely imaginary.— Jackie Wattles, CNN Money, 8 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Sasha is no longer a child, but an adult woman (Amy Zimmer) who, like Romvari, blends documentary and fiction filmmaking in an attempt to re-create or better understand the family dynamics that came to define so much of her youth.— Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 23 Apr. 2026
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For the week ending April 19, 2026 Here are this week’s Independent Press Top 40 Bestsellers for fiction, based on sales in hundreds of independent bookstores nationwide, generously provided by the American Booksellers Association.— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 23 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Apex, which primarily consists of its two main characters chasing each other around the fictional Wandarra National Park on location in the real Australian Blue Mountains, is more focused in action than in psychological nuance.— Alison Willmore, Vulture, 24 Apr. 2026
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Some rappers have begun directly attesting to the fictional nature of their music.— Maria Sherman, Fortune, 24 Apr. 2026
Noun
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To investigate, the researchers combined spectroscopy experiments with simulations to track how energy flows through the material.— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 11 Apr. 2026
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In order to measure AI’s tendency to give responses aligning with trends rather than logic, researchers tested seven models, including GPT-5, Claude, Gemini, Grok, across 15,000 simulations and scenarios.— Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 10 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The moment that lingered came later, when the (sadly fictitious) films of William Harbeck brought me out onto the open deck at dusk.— Jordan Runtagh, PEOPLE, 20 Apr. 2026
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In those previous incidents, charges were either not pursued by the Arlington County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office, or were dismissed during the criminal proceedings in a handful of cases involving assault, disorderly conduct, drug possession, and possession of a fictitious identification card.— Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 19 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Additionally, its full-body motion control system—trained using reinforcement learning and imitation techniques—delivers smooth, disturbance-resistant movement.— Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 21 Apr. 2026
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Male lesser goldfinches sing particularly complex songs, which include imitations of other birds' calls.— Lauren David, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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But this year’s report, published Wednesday, has the Queen City of the East – home of horror author Stephen King and the mythical birthplace of lumberjack Paul Bunyan – standing alone.— Jen Christensen, CNN Money, 22 Apr. 2026
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What could be more human than to weave a mythic narrative of self and clan around what is remembered, and the slippages of what might have been?— Horace D. Ballard, Artforum, 22 Apr. 2026
Noun
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At the time some Senate Republicans suggested returning the current district to Maryland as a way to give voters their a chance for full representation in Congress.— Jesse Bedayn, Twin Cities, 23 Apr. 2026
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Chriselle Lim, a fashion entrepreneur that turned the fragrance company Phlur into a major global brand, has signed with CAA for representation.— Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 23 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Make-believe.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.grautoblog.com/thesaurus/make-believe. Accessed 26 Apr. 2026.
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