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playacting

  • a word derived from playact.
    playact
    verb (used without object)
    to engage in make-believe.

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.

See Examples For:

Can the two tell the difference between playacting and following their hearts?

From Los Angeles Times ● May 27, 2025

Between 2018 and 2021, McIndoe, now 25, went from state to state, playacting the role of radicalized cult leader pushing an absurd conspiracy theory—that, as he put it, “birds aren’t real.”

From Slate ● Apr. 7, 2024

What we need is a stable raft, not messy playacting.

From Salon ● Jun. 11, 2023

And Collette’s playacting of such a role becomes a source of tension throughout the book.

From Seattle Times ● Mar. 13, 2023

“Maybe you're a better thief than all the grown-up thieves in this city, but when Barbarossa sees you in your high heels With all your grown-up playacting, he’ll just laugh at you.”

From "The Thief Lord" by Cornelia Funke