as in facade
a display of emotion or behavior that is insincere or intended to deceive
although she was deeply bored, she maintained a masquerade of polite interest as her guest droned on
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Recent Examples of masquerade
Claire Franken, TVLine, 14 Feb. 2025
Per Variety, key moments from An Offer from a Gentleman, such as the masquerade ball and a pivotal lakeside scene, will be central to the season's storyline.
—Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 14 Feb. 2025
Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 23 Mar. 2025
One glaring example of compliance masquerading as defiance is voting along party lines out of tradition or allegiance, rather than values.
—Sunita Sah, Twin Cities, 9 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for masquerade
Noun
The show first hinted at Sophie’s arrival in the Season 3 finale, when Eloise mentioned her mother Violet’s forthcoming masquerade ball.
—Claire Franken, TVLine, 14 Feb. 2025
Per Variety, key moments from An Offer from a Gentleman, such as the masquerade ball and a pivotal lakeside scene, will be central to the season's storyline.
—Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 14 Feb. 2025
Verb
The production has shared that the house is actually two locations masquerading as one, a choice that tracks for a guy with an assumed identity.
—Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 23 Mar. 2025
One glaring example of compliance masquerading as defiance is voting along party lines out of tradition or allegiance, rather than values.
—Sunita Sah, Twin Cities, 9 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for masquerade
Recent Examples of Synonyms for masquerade
Noun
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Though the statesman tries to stay one step ahead of the sovereign, the facade he’s so carefully crafted starts to crack.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
23 Mar. 2025
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The iconic flag is bolted onto the facades of brick homes.—
Sara Miller Llana,
The Christian Science Monitor,
20 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Jaber Mohamed has uploaded several pictures of himself at Manchester City on his public Instagram page, including posing with former players David Silva, Jesus Navas, and Sergio Aguero during their time at the club.—
Jacob Whitehead,
New York Times,
27 Mar. 2025
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And if Nique Clifford was able to give Maryland’s defense fits on 21 points, Florida’s Walter Clayton Jr. could pose a nightmare matchup.—
Baltimore Sun staff,
Baltimore Sun,
27 Mar. 2025
Noun
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The Trump Administration has significantly weakened America's national security infrastructure under the false pretense of government efficiency, by reducing staffing at the Departments of Defense and State, FBI, CIA, USAID, and others despite increasing global threats.—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
TIME,
24 Mar. 2025
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The Trump administration’s harrowing detention of Palestinian student activist Mahmoud Khalil — and the broader repression of student activism on campuses across the country — is being sold to the public under the false pretense of ensuring Jewish safety.—
Adam Jaffe,
New York Daily News,
18 Mar. 2025
Verb
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But one of the show’s most viral clips is much more representative: The veteran SNL writer Jim Downey pretends to have never heard about Jeffrey Epstein’s misdeeds, to O’Brien’s bleating objections.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
22 Mar. 2025
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Appearing in his second Saturday Night Live-adjacent film after Wayne's World, Lowe played the villainous Paul Barrish, Tommy's older stepbrother, who plots to take over his father's company with help from his secret lover, partner-in-crime, and pretend mother, Beverly (played by Bo Derek).—
Mike Miller,
EW.com,
22 Mar. 2025
Noun
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The entrepreneur rose to fame as an executive producer and star of the Netflix reality show that showcased affluent Asians in Southern California.—
Lawrence Yee,
People.com,
22 Mar. 2025
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And be sure to check out my latest streaming guide for all the other shows and movies out this weekend.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes,
22 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Now, an indictment charges Weng, 49, with wire fraud, mail fraud and impersonating a federal law enforcement officer, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said in a news release.—
Julia Marnin,
Miami Herald,
24 Mar. 2025
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Rony Hernandez-Morales was taken into custody on charges of identity fraud and impersonating a peace officer.—
Kevin Sabet,
Newsweek,
24 Mar. 2025
Noun
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All would come under the guise of respect for local norms.—
David Faris,
Newsweek,
17 Mar. 2025
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Underneath the guise of afternoon tea, though, lies a book club, which offers Eleanor, Rose and Lavinia the chance of newfound freedom.—
Carly Tagen-Dye,
People.com,
14 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Beautifully acted and textured with the style and setting of 16th-century England, this season doesn’t quite have the same thrilling tones as its predecessor.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
23 Mar. 2025
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Strong antivirus software acts as a digital shield, safeguarding against potential infections that could compromise personal data or device security.—
Kurt Knutsson, CyberGuy Report,
Fox News,
23 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Masquerade.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/masquerade. Accessed 5 Apr. 2025.
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