made believe

VERB

make a show of

Synonyms

WEAK

act as if act as though bluff counterfeit dream enact fake fantasize feign fool imagine let on like make as if play play the part play-act playact pretend simulate

Antonyms

WEAK

live reality

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

They did it for hundreds of years, and then they made believe it never happened.

From New York Times • Jan. 30, 2017

They were shocked, so much that they indulged in sheer denial and made believe it wasn’t happening.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 20, 2016

Francie played with imaginary companions and made believe that they were better than real children.

From "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" by Betty Smith

We made believe we didn’t care that we learned differently, but we knew we did.

From "Harbor Me" by Jacqueline Woodson

Doctor Payne held his hands up to his mouth like a megaphone and made believe he was yelling over a great distance.

From "How the García Girls Lost Their Accents" by Julia Alvarez