1
as in to pose
to take on a false or deceptive appearance
I pretended that I didn't care that my ex had a new man in her life
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in to assume
to present a false appearance of
as if I would ever pretend illness just to take off a day from work
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in faux
being such in appearance only and made with or manufactured from usually cheaper materials
if you were to see the movie's pretend jewels in real life, you wouldn't be fooled for a minute
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in imaginary
not real and existing only in the imagination
it's just a pretend gun, so please pretend that I got you and play dead
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pretend
Andy Rose, CNN Money, 14 May 2026
But do not pretend that hiding research somehow benefits science.
—A.j. Russo, Baltimore Sun, 13 May 2026
Rebecca Flint Marx, SELF, 20 Apr. 2026
In Silky Smooth, Liao explores the chaotic stages of adulthood, scheduling fun plans with tired friends, the unfair treatment of single people, being attracted to silly men, and the fear of being a role model to her pretend children.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 20 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pretend
Verb
Prosecutors say the men tried again unsuccessfully at the San Jose home, first pretending to be professional power washers, then returning two days later and hitting the victim in the head with a gun.
—Andy Rose, CNN Money, 14 May 2026
But do not pretend that hiding research somehow benefits science.
—A.j. Russo, Baltimore Sun, 13 May 2026
Adjective
Another uses a play food container from a child’s pretend kitchen.
—Rebecca Flint Marx, SELF, 20 Apr. 2026
In Silky Smooth, Liao explores the chaotic stages of adulthood, scheduling fun plans with tired friends, the unfair treatment of single people, being attracted to silly men, and the fear of being a role model to her pretend children.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 20 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pretend
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pretend
Verb
-
On Monday, May 18, Hadid, 62, posed with her daughter, Bella Hadid, 29, at the Chopard Miracle Gala Evening at the Cannes Film Festival.—
Ingrid Vasquez,
PEOPLE,
19 May 2026
-
Even 6 inches of moving water can pose a serious risk of knocking you off your feet.—
STAR-TELEGRAM WEATHER BOT,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
19 May 2026
Verb
-
Meanwhile, Scott, the attorney, also said Thursday that Williamson assumed, based on her conversations with McCluskie, that McCluskie had spoken to Becerra about the concept of the money transfer.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
15 May 2026
-
Recommended Stories That’s assuming there’s actually enough of it accessible on the moon to be profitably extracted.—
Robin George Andrews,
Scientific American,
14 May 2026
Adjective
-
According to Briggs, after an officer took off his shirt in a faux striptease during a dance-off for a raffle prize, Kennedy put dollar bills in the officer’s pockets then took a bow — which Briggs said elicited cheers.—
Teri Figueroa,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 May 2026
-
The interior wipes clean, in the event of spills during transit, and the exterior is composed of a chic faux leather that’s waterproof and durable.—
Amelia McBride,
Travel + Leisure,
13 May 2026
Adjective
-
Gaiman works like The Sandman and American Gods have served as inviting gateways to imaginary worlds for multiple generations of readers and viewers.—
Keith Phipps,
Vulture,
13 May 2026
-
By that time Dame Frances had established the idea of theaters of memory—imaginary architectural structures, replete with columns and alcoves and windows, where items can be placed for later recollection.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
13 May 2026
Verb
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After Tuesday’s game at Miami, the Braves have two more divisional games with the Marlins yet to play, followed by a home series against a hot-hitting Washington Nationals team (also within the division) this weekend.—
Ken Sugiura,
AJC.com,
20 May 2026
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Charles Melton plays an American GI named Private K who’s trying to locate his daughter and keeps getting into bloody altercations.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
20 May 2026
Verb
-
Several heat shield tiles on the spacecraft have intentionally been painted white to simulate damage and create visual targets for inspection systems.—
Jamie Carter,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026
-
And simulating Paul Baran’s idea became Sharla’s job.—
Laura Isensee,
Scientific American,
18 May 2026
Adjective
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The bot-detection firm Cyabra analyzed seven days of activity around the ad and determined that 15 percent of the TikTok accounts commenting on it were fake but had created a disproportionately large percentage of the uproar.—
Lane Brown,
Vulture,
15 May 2026
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To return the favor, Graham proposes a fake dating scheme with Wells to make her crush, singer Justin Kohl (Josh Heuston), jealous.—
Nasha Smith,
PEOPLE,
15 May 2026
Adjective
-
Paul Dano is spin doctor and adviser Vadim Baranov, a fictitious character loosely inspired by real-life Russian politician Vladislav Surkov.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
15 May 2026
-
That was a role model of a fictitious kind.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pretend.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pretend. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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