Charade (noun)

1. A word guessing game in which one player acts out a word or phrase, and the other players have to guess what it is.
2. An act or performance that is intended to deceive or mislead.

Origin:

From the french word "charade", which is derived from the phrase "jeu de charade" meaning "a game of charade".

Examples:

1. The children were having a charade, trying to guess the hidden word.
2. The whole situation was a charade, meant to distract from the real issue.
3. The political campaign was nothing but a charade, with no real policies or plans.
4. The charade was so convincing that it took a long time for anyone to discover the truth.
5. The charade was finally over when the truth was revealed.