as in shows
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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 masquerades
Johnny C. Taylor Jr, USA Today, 24 Feb. 2026
Burnout masquerades as ambition.
—Kelly Ehlers, Rolling Stone, 10 Feb. 2026
And humiliation masquerades as justice.
—Rabbi Bruce D. Forman, Sun Sentinel, 10 Feb. 2026
The gala will conclude with rousing Cameroon and Nigerian masquerades by the Odenigbo Group.
—Rachel Bernhard, jsonline.com, 14 Jan. 2026
Noun
Bias masquerades as opinion, with no guidance and no intent to help.
—Johnny C. Taylor Jr, USA Today, 24 Feb. 2026
Burnout masquerades as ambition.
—Kelly Ehlers, Rolling Stone, 10 Feb. 2026
And humiliation masquerades as justice.
—Rabbi Bruce D. Forman, Sun Sentinel, 10 Feb. 2026
The gala will conclude with rousing Cameroon and Nigerian masquerades by the Odenigbo Group.
—Rachel Bernhard, jsonline.com, 14 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for masquerades
Noun
-
In the process, however, one of the big distinguishing aspects of TV – the large audiences who once assembled to watch dramas, sitcoms and reality shows – has eroded.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Trying is one of Apple TV’s longest-running shows and was recently acquired by the BBC in a first-of-its-kind deal.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The government argued earlier that Allen poses a grave risk of danger to the public for allegedly seeking to carry out an attack at Saturday's dinner.—
Alexander Mallin,
ABC News,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Meta’s mounting child safety litigation poses another potential obstacle.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
These projects reveal the evil lurking underneath the guises of killers who were so often hiding in plain sight.—
Katie Rife,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 Apr. 2026
-
By the time my story about him was published in the November 2023 issue of Vanity Fair, Aryeh Dodelson, and all of his guises, had disappeared from the face of the earth.—
Nate Freeman,
Vanity Fair,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
But only male pilots can apply—so Wooram goes full Twelfth Night and impersonates her twin brother Boram, with his blessing.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Like that video where Bryan Cranston impersonates Art Garfunkel at Central Park, and his bouffant gets bigger every time the camera cuts back.—
Mike Sutter,
San Antonio Express-News,
25 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Cruise ships release passengers daily to see the bright, ornate facades lining the harbor.—
Tribune News Service,
Baltimore Sun,
30 Apr. 2026
-
The basilica features three main facades -- the Nativity, the Passion and the Glory -- each depicting a different chapter of Christ's life.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
In one snap, the foursome laughs as Crown Prince Christian pretends to grab his younger brother's neck.—
Janine Henni,
PEOPLE,
20 Apr. 2026
-
This team is improved, has a deeper roster, no longer pretends Kris Bryant is a major league player and features more functional pitchers (No, seriously).—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
4 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Authorities said the gun had been purchased under false pretenses in Indiana.—
Caroline Kubzansky,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Apr. 2026
-
The 2025 Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery Act, or HEAR Act, expands on a 2016 law, signed by President Barack Obama, that permits victims and descendants of victims of the Holocaust to lay legal claim to works of art looted by the Nazis or sold to the Nazis under false pretenses.—
Jackie Hajdenberg,
Sun Sentinel,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Again, Madueke plays short to Odegaard, with Havertz, White and Zubimendi moving towards the ball.—
Ahmed Walid,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
-
The Audacity creator Jonathan Glatzer and star Billy Magnussen, who plays wealthy tech CEO Duncan Park, took the stage at Deadline Contenders TV to talk about taking the tech monster lurking in the shadows and those responsible for its existence, and turning it into a comedy.—
Amanda Champagne-Meadows,
Deadline,
26 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Masquerades.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/masquerades. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
