Word of the Day: Kayfabe

Kayfabe

Definition: The staged performance of conflict, rivalry, or drama, presented as if it were real. Originally from professional wrestling, where storylines are scripted but sold as authentic. Today the word is used for politics, media feuds, and corporate rivalries that function the same way—more theater than truth.

Why now: In politics, “kayfabe” captures the constant theater—manufactured outrage, pretend rivalries, or overblown battles—that distracts from the real deals happening backstage. What looks like fierce opposition is often just a show for the crowd.

Examples:

• “Cable news thrives on kayfabe—panelists shouting at each other by day, dining together by night.”

• “The supposed fight between two tech CEOs was mostly kayfabe, engineered to boost both of their stock prices.”

• “Trump and his allies keep the kayfabe going—publicly feuding, privately colluding—because the performance is the point.”