pretend to (something)
idiom
formal
: to claim that one has (something, such as a quality or ability)
She pretends to a deep religious devotion, but I don't believe her.
—usually used in negative statementsI don't pretend to any expertise in these matters.
Examples of pretend to (something) in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Hyper-masculine firefighters Chuck (Sandler) and widower Larry (Kevin James) pretend to be gay to get married so Larry can receive domestic partnership benefits for his kids.
—
Skyler Trepel, People.com, 30 July 2025
Criminals pretend to be federal agents or police officers and then work up a scam that ultimately demands payment to avoid an arrest or court appearance or jury duty or worse.
—Zak Doffman, Forbes.com, 30 July 2025
When Trump is abducted by aliens from Mars, Ivanka asks Chuan to pretend to be him to keep the nation together amid a trade war with China.
—Chris Lau, CNN Money, 14 July 2025
Kurt’s key takeaways Scam emails that pretend to be from Amazon are getting more realistic, but there are still clear ways to protect yourself.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for pretend to (something)
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Skyler Trepel, People.com, 30 July 2025
Criminals pretend to be federal agents or police officers and then work up a scam that ultimately demands payment to avoid an arrest or court appearance or jury duty or worse.
—Zak Doffman, Forbes.com, 30 July 2025
When Trump is abducted by aliens from Mars, Ivanka asks Chuan to pretend to be him to keep the nation together amid a trade war with China.
—Chris Lau, CNN Money, 14 July 2025
Kurt’s key takeaways Scam emails that pretend to be from Amazon are getting more realistic, but there are still clear ways to protect yourself.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for pretend to (something)
Cite this Entry
“Pretend to (something).” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pretend%20to%20%28something%29. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.
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