kayfabe

American  

[kay-fayb] / ˈkeɪ feɪb /

noun

1. Wrestling. the portrayal of staged events, narratives, and characters as real.

2. an elaborate, performative fiction.

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Example Sentences

They’ve become experts in kayfabe, the dramatic art of masking fake conflict as real.

From The Wall Street Journal

Professional wrestling violence is scripted, and wrestlers are supposed to stay in character in the presence of fans, a concept known as “kayfabe.”

From Los Angeles Times

But long before the two meet, Riesman introduces readers to what has arguably become the central conceit of both figures’ lives: the art of kayfabe.

From Washington Post

Did you find it a challenge to separate the truth from the kayfabe — the wrestling stagecraft?

From Los Angeles Times

Or maybe, he says, the encore is like an act of kayfabe, referring to the portrayal of staged events in pro wrestling.

From Washington Post