masquerade 1 of 2

noun

ˌma-skə-ˈrād How to pronounce masquerade (audio)
Definition of masqueradenext
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

masquerade

2 of 2

verb

as in to pose

Related 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 masquerade
Noun
But the maison will also have a trio of exclusive treatments on offer at Hotel Cipriani, which were crafted to honor Christian Dior’s love of masquerade balls and Venice. — Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 27 July 2026 The yearly convention includes panel discussions, movie and television showings, an exhibitor hall, outdoor activations, a masquerade ball and more. — Ut Community Press, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 July 2026
Verb
The most powerful of the three attack variants causes the infected Windows machine to masquerade as an iPhone. — Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 11 Aug. 2026 Set amid the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War, the tragic tale of Ofelia (Ivana Baquero) is famous for allowing real nightmares to masquerade as bloody fairytales. — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 30 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for masquerade
Recent Examples of Synonyms for masquerade
  1. facade
  2. pose
  3. pretense
  4. pretend
  5. show
  6. impersonate
  7. guise
  8. act
Noun
  • After slogans criticizing the Sacramento State administration appeared in chalk on the facade of a 64-year-old campus building earlier this week, at least one student is now facing potential disciplinary action.
    — Tarini Mehta, Sacbee.com, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Roses and a soft orange nod to the way light catches on its facades.
    — Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of facade
Verb
  • Jon Stewart set his sights on AI on the latest episode of The Daily Show, unpacking the threats posed by the technology and Donald Trump‘s mediocre reaction.
    — Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 6 Oct. 2026
  • The season finale — or possibly the series finale, since HBO hasn’t renewed the show yet — wrapped up the mystery posed by the show’s premiere of who killed Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler).
    — Jordan Moreau, Variety, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of pose
Noun
  • Conference expansion has shattered pretenses to regional coherence.
    — Geraldo L. Cadava, The Atlantic, 19 Sep. 2026
  • Cinematic pretense and the kinds political leaders and media personalities use to sell ideas are often one and the same.
    — Vikram Murthi, IndieWire, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of pretense
Verb
  • Traditional American business values like social responsibility, community involvement, and customer service — y’know, the things companies used to at least pretend to care about — have been tossed aside.
    — Noel Murray, Vulture, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Everyone pretends the films were chosen purely on merit, but the slate often reads Hollywood with a lanyard and a conscience.
    — Joseph Kahn, HollywoodReporter, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of pretend
Noun
  • And how pissed must Luann have been only two months later to find out that Carole was going to be carrying that torch right back to being the center apple of the show?
    — Brian Moylan, Vulture, 5 Oct. 2026
  • The rare show of alignment among fierce rivals was soon countered by comments from Meta’s Zuckerberg and Nvidia’s Jensen Huang, both of whom dismissed the slowdown idea.
    — Alyson Shontell, Fortune, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of show
Verb
  • Then another old friend of Mary’s, the shape-shifting warlock William (Devon Sawa), is revealed to have been impersonating a teacher.
    — Mya Copeland, Variety, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Colbert gifted Kimmel his Captain America shield, did a sketch-within-an-interview with his son impersonating a Kiwi police officer, and shaved for our amusement.
    — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of impersonate
Noun
  • But unlike Backrooms, SCP Foundation has always been more centralized to this one website, and every subsequent SCP Foundation work has always fallen under the guise of the Creative Commons license, something the Backrooms creepypasta never did.
    — Brian Welk, IndieWire, 24 Sep. 2026
  • As critics such as Antonio Candido have remarked, regionalism was at bottom an attempt to render Latin American reality in its dominant rural guise.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of guise
Verb
  • In that government post paying almost $70,000 a year, Jamal acted as a liaison with the Somali community.
    — Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Let Congress know how dire the situation is (or will be, if there’s a failure to act).
    — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of act

Phrases Containing masquerade

Browse Nearby Words

masque
masquerade
masquerade (as)
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Cite this Entry

“Masquerade.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/masquerade. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on masquerade

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about masquerade

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