1
as in mock
lacking in natural or spontaneous quality
he shows a pretended affection for his girlfriend's cat
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in fake
not being or expressing what one appears to be or express
hoped that his pretended interest in classical music would impress the boss
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in posed
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
2
as in assumed
to present a false appearance of
as if I would ever pretend illness just to take off a day from work
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pretended
Sam Sacks, WSJ, 11 Nov. 2022
The woman is long gone, so Freer has to imagine her consent — in a history so full of gaps, coercion, and disappearance, a pretended connection is better than none at all.
—Helen Shaw, Vulture, 28 Mar. 2022
No, seriously: People were very upset by these shoes, or at least pretended to be.
—Heather Wilhelm, National Review, 31 Aug. 2017
Emily Exton, Entertainment Weekly, 19 Sep. 2025
Hortman, her husband, Mark, and their dog were killed at their house on June 14 by a gunman who pretended to be law enforcement, according to authorities.
—Kimberlee Speakman, PEOPLE, 16 Sep. 2025
There was that episode of The Nanny where Fran pretended to be Bobbi Flekman.
—Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 10 Sep. 2025
California Schemin’ is based on the true story of two Scottish friends, Gavin Bain and Billy Boyd, who pretended to be a California rap duo, Silibil N’ Brains, to realize their dream of hip-hop stardom.
—Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 5 Sep. 2025
No one pretended when Johnny Carson or others retired that the new group would replace them.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 2 Sep. 2025
Instead of confirming or denying, the Colorado Buffaloes head coach flashed a wide smile and pretended the connection on their call was too poor to proceed.
—Angel Saunders, People.com, 29 Aug. 2025
The indictment states Peters and Knisley pretended to hire an IT consultant, used his name and Social Security number to pass a background check and acquire a security clearance and access badge.
—Kathryn Palmer, USA Today, 22 Aug. 2025
To this day, Musk maintains that Altman pretended that OpenAI would remain a nonprofit serving the public good in order to seize access to Musk's money and professional connections in its first five years and gain a lead in AI.
—Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 14 Aug. 2025
Adjective
What most activates Dunn’s rage is the misogyny that only deepened amid all the pretended freedoms of the counterculture.
—Sam Sacks, WSJ, 11 Nov. 2022
The woman is long gone, so Freer has to imagine her consent — in a history so full of gaps, coercion, and disappearance, a pretended connection is better than none at all.
—Helen Shaw, Vulture, 28 Mar. 2022
No, seriously: People were very upset by these shoes, or at least pretended to be.
—Heather Wilhelm, National Review, 31 Aug. 2017
Verb
True desires were revealed during the blackout, as Chuck pretended to be Blair's British boyfriend, Marcus.
—Emily Exton, Entertainment Weekly, 19 Sep. 2025
Hortman, her husband, Mark, and their dog were killed at their house on June 14 by a gunman who pretended to be law enforcement, according to authorities.
—Kimberlee Speakman, PEOPLE, 16 Sep. 2025
There was that episode of The Nanny where Fran pretended to be Bobbi Flekman.
—Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 10 Sep. 2025
California Schemin’ is based on the true story of two Scottish friends, Gavin Bain and Billy Boyd, who pretended to be a California rap duo, Silibil N’ Brains, to realize their dream of hip-hop stardom.
—Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 5 Sep. 2025
No one pretended when Johnny Carson or others retired that the new group would replace them.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 2 Sep. 2025
Instead of confirming or denying, the Colorado Buffaloes head coach flashed a wide smile and pretended the connection on their call was too poor to proceed.
—Angel Saunders, People.com, 29 Aug. 2025
The indictment states Peters and Knisley pretended to hire an IT consultant, used his name and Social Security number to pass a background check and acquire a security clearance and access badge.
—Kathryn Palmer, USA Today, 22 Aug. 2025
To this day, Musk maintains that Altman pretended that OpenAI would remain a nonprofit serving the public good in order to seize access to Musk's money and professional connections in its first five years and gain a lead in AI.
—Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 14 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pretended
Adjective
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Learners also engaged in mock sales calls with members of the Hawks’ sales staff, receiving real-time feedback in small breakout rooms.—
Ryan Stowers,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
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Analysts Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo in their latest 2026 mock draft have Peterson edging out BYU’s AJ Dybantsa, Duke’s Cameron Boozer and Tennessee’s Nate Ament for the top spot.—
Gary Bedore,
Kansas City Star,
16 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Colbert made several jokes about needing a job and even brought a fake resume with a youthful headshot of himself.—
Rosa Escandon,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
-
The Nepalese government, citing concerns over fake accounts, hate speech, disinformation and fraud, said the measures were to ensure accountability and make operators responsible for content on their platforms.—
Nir Kshetri,
The Conversation,
14 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Midway, his son, Alexander Stirling Calder, posed three reclining Art Deco figures in a fountain, representing the three main waterways of the city.—
Chloe Schama,
Vogue,
16 Sep. 2025
-
Rashida Jones posed for photos in a black gown which featured an off-the-shoulder look on one side, with fabric flowing down from the neckline to her waistline.—
Lori A Bashian,
FOXNews.com,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Some might have assumed at first that this woman was just an influencer dabbling in rap.—
Rob Sheffield,
Rolling Stone,
19 Sep. 2025
-
And Lupita wants people to know her feelings about Daniel are the opposite of what some fans assumed based on a long-running joke about not liking him.—
Sarah Jones,
PEOPLE,
18 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
One of the main challenges facing the economy is the strained relationship between Beijing and Washington as disputes over technology and geopolitics mount.—
Nino Paoli,
Fortune,
15 Sep. 2025
-
Photothek via Getty Images Against the backdrop of a strained labour market, many workers feel obliged to overperform.—
Alliance Manchester Business School,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The score remained that way until the eighth when Ramírez sparked a two-out rally with a double.—
Betsy Helfand,
Twin Cities,
20 Sep. 2025
-
Guzman drew a leadoff walk, Bryce Teodosio singled and Nolan Schanuel drove them both in with a double to right.—
Patrick Saunders,
Denver Post,
20 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Once the move was official for Iamaleava, the transfer signing essentially acted as the college football equivalent of a trade.—
Tyler Small,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
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That prospect flared up for Seoane as the home fans whistled and booed at the final whistle, and became reality on Monday when the club’s board acted.—
Greg O'Keeffe,
New York Times,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The scene on a lower floor of an Overland Park office building simulated the investigation of an explosion as part of a two-day training event organized by the FBI’s Kansas City office with an eye toward readiness for the World Cup in 2026.—
Nathan Pilling,
Kansas City Star,
18 Sep. 2025
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Intense tank and tracer fire flew across the field as the joint Russian and Belarusian forces simulated re-taking a village.—
Patrick Reevell,
ABC News,
15 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pretended.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pretended. Accessed 22 Sep. 2025.
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