Verb
(intransitive) To perform on stage; to act in a play.
(transitive) To play (a scene, role etc.); to act out.
(intransitive, figuratively) To engage in pretence or insincere behavior, often in order to mislead someone or gain an advantage.
(transitive, figuratively) To make a pretence of; to feign or simulate.
Source: en.wiktionary.orgLooking back, I guess I used to play-act all the time. For one thing, it meant I could live in a more interesting world than the one around me. Marilyn Monroe
I'm not a politician, even though I play-act one when the boss tells me to-I'm allowed to change my mind when my understanding of the facts changes. Charles Stross