as in pretense
a display of emotion or behavior that is insincere or intended to deceive
it was clear to her friends that her reaction to the news was pure playacting
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Recent Examples of playacting
Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 26 May 2026
Alexis Mac Allister, whose fall from grace this season has been akin to Fabinho’s stark decline in 2022-23, stupidly delayed the taking of a Villa corner with some playacting which even prompted Slot to tell him to get up.
—James Pearce, New York Times, 16 May 2026
Hence the infamous playacting subplot in her 1814 novel Mansfield Park, a novel written when Austen was at her professional peak.
—Emily Zarevich, JSTOR Daily, 11 Sep. 2025
Noun
Whenever the real Rhodes was bludgeoned in the ring (his injuries themselves feigned as part of pro wrestling’s playacting), the fake one came to Theresa with his medical bills.
—Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 26 May 2026
Alexis Mac Allister, whose fall from grace this season has been akin to Fabinho’s stark decline in 2022-23, stupidly delayed the taking of a Villa corner with some playacting which even prompted Slot to tell him to get up.
—James Pearce, New York Times, 16 May 2026
Hence the infamous playacting subplot in her 1814 novel Mansfield Park, a novel written when Austen was at her professional peak.
—Emily Zarevich, JSTOR Daily, 11 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for playacting
Noun
-
For all the Court’s pretenses—all of its insistence on the rule of law, precedent, and good faith—many critics and supporters of the Roberts Court see the institution as an appendage of the Republican Party.—
Adam Serwer,
The Atlantic,
5 June 2026
-
Garcia-Hernandez was arrested on charges of theft of an elder adult, obtaining money by false pretenses, and attempted grand theft, along with an out-of-county warrant.—
Kassia Bonesteel,
CBS News,
4 June 2026
Verb
-
Woolley shared a photo of the two posing side-by-side at the event on Instagram with brown heart and wilting rose emojis as the caption.—
Emma Kershaw,
PEOPLE,
12 June 2026
-
Rosemarie Berman of the Southside Community Action Network was tasked with taking the questions of those in attendance and posing them to officials.—
Ricky Sayer,
CBS News,
12 June 2026
Noun
-
The events include raffles, giveaways and a halftime show.—
DeJanay Booth-Singleton,
CBS News,
12 June 2026
-
Be sure to check out Bee reporter Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado’s newcomer’s guide to Sacramento’s LGBTQ bars, churches, drag shows and more.—
Sean Timberlake,
Sacbee.com,
12 June 2026
Verb
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The criminals then follow up by phone, pretending to be IT support and ask employees to join screen-sharing sessions or install remote-access software.—
Gene Marks,
Forbes.com,
14 June 2026
-
Just someone pretending to help.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
13 June 2026
Noun
-
The most important stories of Jesus’ life, the Nativity and Passion, are etched into the basilica’s east and west facades.—
Joseph Wilson,
Los Angeles Times,
10 June 2026
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The 18 towers represent different figures from scripture including the apostles, evangelists and Virgin Mary while the three facades depict the life of Jesus along with his death and final judgment.—
Christopher Lamb,
CNN Money,
10 June 2026
Verb
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The private plane was operated by Skydive Kansas City, said Dennis Jacobs, the acting airport manager and Bates County Emergency Management Agency director.—
Kristin M. Hall,
Los Angeles Times,
14 June 2026
-
Shortly before midnight on April 27th, two days after a gunman disrupted the White House Correspondents’ dinner, the acting Attorney General, Todd Blanche, submitted an extraordinary petition to a federal court that had blocked the construction of the White House ballroom.—
Ruth Marcus,
New Yorker,
14 June 2026
Noun
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Jay Clayton alleged at the time that the gang is responsible for countless acts of violence, extortion and drug trafficking in North America, South America and Europe.—
Will Weissert,
Los Angeles Times,
13 June 2026
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There were reckless acts such as climbing on moving and parked vehicles and vandalism like trashing a yellow cab.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
12 June 2026
Verb
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With fewer matches, shorter timelines and captaincy playing a huge role, identifying the right elite assets can make or break your World Cup Fantasy campaign.—
Abdul Rehman,
New York Times,
11 June 2026
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Simmons fits in nicely alongside eighth-graders Ella Parece and Molly Buffington, all playing a big role in the run this time.—
Tom Mulherin,
Boston Herald,
11 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Playacting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/playacting. Accessed 16 Jun. 2026.
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