charade
/ʃəˈɹeɪd/noun
A pretense or act that is clearly false but is kept up to look real.
Example sentences
- “Their happy marriage was just a charade for the cameras.”
- “Everyone knew the vote was a charade.”
- “Let's stop this charade and talk honestly.”
Common in 'keep up the charade' and 'a charade of' something. The plural 'charades' is a party game of acting out words.