1
as in to pretend
to present a false appearance of
he dissembled happiness at the news that his old girlfriend was getting married—to someone else
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2
as in to dissimulate
to take on a false or deceptive appearance
children learn to dissemble at a surprisingly early age
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of dissemble
You’d like your government to tell you the truth, and the government dissembled repeatedly after the raid about what the rules of engagement were.
—
Aryeh Neier, The New York Review of Books, 3 Mar. 2025
Pushing back on reporters, at the time Scher often dissembled and appeared to brush aside concerns about what was clearly an increasingly out-of-control situation.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 19 July 2024
That same week, Altman made headlines at a Senate hearing by asking to be regulated — wowing senators who were more accustomed to tech CEOs dissembling or responding evasively to questions.
—Brian Fung, CNN, 14 Feb. 2024
That year, with 23,000 U.S. troops in Vietnam, the administration was still dissembling about the American role in the war.
—Trip Gabriel, New York Times, 2 Feb. 2024
See All Example Sentences for dissemble
Aryeh Neier, The New York Review of Books, 3 Mar. 2025
Pushing back on reporters, at the time Scher often dissembled and appeared to brush aside concerns about what was clearly an increasingly out-of-control situation.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 19 July 2024
That same week, Altman made headlines at a Senate hearing by asking to be regulated — wowing senators who were more accustomed to tech CEOs dissembling or responding evasively to questions.
—Brian Fung, CNN, 14 Feb. 2024
That year, with 23,000 U.S. troops in Vietnam, the administration was still dissembling about the American role in the war.
—Trip Gabriel, New York Times, 2 Feb. 2024
See All Example Sentences for dissemble
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dissemble
Verb
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There were Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen pretending to make out.—
Gil Kaufman,
Billboard,
22 July 2025
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Upon spotting himself on the big screen, Cohen immediately reached over and pretended to make out with a shocked Cooper.—
Emlyn Travis Published,
EW.com,
22 July 2025
Verb
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Season 1 ended on a cliffhanger, with Brown’s character flying to Atlanta to find his wife, who was previously assumed dead.—
Giana Levy,
Variety,
28 July 2025
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The team assumed command of firefighting efforts on July 26, according to InciWeb.—
Rey Covarrubias Jr,
AZCentral.com,
28 July 2025
Verb
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The captain announces the trip, vibrating chairs simulate the real thing while the plane windows offer views of the departure city (San Francisco), the sky and the tarmac upon landing in Mexico City.—
Susan Stapleton,
AZCentral.com,
31 July 2025
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The other Chargers tight ends would stand in front of Gates during practice and latch onto the different pieces of the vest to simulate the coverages Gates was seeing at the line of scrimmage.—
Daniel Popper,
New York Times,
30 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dissemble.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dissemble. Accessed 5 Aug. 2025.
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