pretender
noun
pre·tend·er
pri-ˈten-dər 
: one that pretends: such as
a
: one who lays claim to something
specifically
: a claimant to a throne who is held to have no just title
b
: one who makes a false or hypocritical show
Examples of pretender in a Sentence
it turns out that the guy who claimed to work for a modeling agency was just a pretender
Recent Examples on the Web
The bot will see you now: Therapists in the U.S. are getting ready for a battle with A.I. pretenders.
—
Natasha Frost, New York Times, 25 Feb. 2025
Without a bit more heart and soul, the spinoff is just a pretender in a nicely tailored suit.
—Kelly Lawler, USA TODAY, 25 Feb. 2025
Signings like that separate champions from contenders, and contenders from pretenders.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 16 Feb. 2025
Presumably the quality of play will be much improved now that most of the pretenders have been eliminated, but scarcity should also work in the networks’ favor.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 3 Sep. 2019
See All Example Sentences for pretender
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Natasha Frost, New York Times, 25 Feb. 2025
Without a bit more heart and soul, the spinoff is just a pretender in a nicely tailored suit.
—Kelly Lawler, USA TODAY, 25 Feb. 2025
Signings like that separate champions from contenders, and contenders from pretenders.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 16 Feb. 2025
Presumably the quality of play will be much improved now that most of the pretenders have been eliminated, but scarcity should also work in the networks’ favor.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 3 Sep. 2019
See All Example Sentences for pretender
Articles Related to pretender
Cite this Entry
“Pretender.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pretender. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
pretender
noun
pre·tend·er
pri-ˈten-dər
1
: a person who pretends
2
: a person who claims a throne without right
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share