1
as in poses
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
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2
as in assumes
to present a false appearance of
as if I would ever pretend illness just to take off a day from work
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pretends
The human therapist pretends to be a client.
—
Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026
By March, the city pretends the interruption never happened.
—Alexandra Martinez, Artforum, 15 Jan. 2026
But nobody pretends that number is reliable.
—Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 31 Oct. 2025
Each night on her ongoing Short n’ Sweet tour Carpenter pretends to arrest a member of the crowd.
—Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 24 Oct. 2025
In the finale, Brandis pretends not to see the million-dollar stash in Maeve's possession and zips the bag back up, looking up as birds sing.
—Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 20 Oct. 2025
After encountering an old friend, Colette, embarrassed about her friend’s success compared to her own, pretends to be a customer at the DMV instead of an employee.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 13 Oct. 2025
In a particularly poignant moment in the film, Jiang stands by the window at night and pretends to capture and punch the shadow of a security guard downstairs.
—Yangyang Cheng, NPR, 4 Oct. 2025
The label is applied when a teen pretends or forces himself to present in this way just to win the romantic attention of the young women around him.
—Ashleigh N. Deluca, Parents, 24 Sep. 2025
Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026
By March, the city pretends the interruption never happened.
—Alexandra Martinez, Artforum, 15 Jan. 2026
But nobody pretends that number is reliable.
—Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 31 Oct. 2025
Each night on her ongoing Short n’ Sweet tour Carpenter pretends to arrest a member of the crowd.
—Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 24 Oct. 2025
In the finale, Brandis pretends not to see the million-dollar stash in Maeve's possession and zips the bag back up, looking up as birds sing.
—Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 20 Oct. 2025
After encountering an old friend, Colette, embarrassed about her friend’s success compared to her own, pretends to be a customer at the DMV instead of an employee.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 13 Oct. 2025
In a particularly poignant moment in the film, Jiang stands by the window at night and pretends to capture and punch the shadow of a security guard downstairs.
—Yangyang Cheng, NPR, 4 Oct. 2025
The label is applied when a teen pretends or forces himself to present in this way just to win the romantic attention of the young women around him.
—Ashleigh N. Deluca, Parents, 24 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pretends
Verb
-
Italian actress Isabella Ferrari poses for a photographer before the Giorgio Armani collection show at Milan's Fashion Week Womenswear Spring / Summer 2026, at the Pinacoteca di Brera Museum in Milan on September 28, 2025.—
Rebecca Schneid,
Time,
4 Feb. 2026
-
Melissa moves up to Division I and instantly poses a challenge to the likes of Lone Star and Frisco Reedy in District 5-5A.—
Ishmael Johnson,
Dallas Morning News,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
This assumes no growth in demand.—
Alex Pavlak,
Baltimore Sun,
1 Feb. 2026
-
But things take a turn for the worse when Edward's clairvoyant sister Alice (Ashley Greene) mistakenly assumes Bella plummeted to her death while cliffdiving.—
Lincee Ray,
Entertainment Weekly,
1 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The mother of three also revealed that her daughter, Princess Charlotte, isn’t officially involved in rugby, but joins in when the family plays together at home.—
Stephanie Nolasco , Ashley Papa,
FOXNews.com,
2 Feb. 2026
-
In the production, Hayes plays Elliott, a writer grappling with creative paralysis who retreats to a remote cabin, only to find the line between imagination and reality dangerously blurred.—
Dave Quinn,
PEOPLE,
1 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Today's test simulates a frontal collision where the cars are slightly offset from each other.—
Camila Domonoske,
NPR,
16 Dec. 2025
-
Another installation simulates the interior of Aquarius Reef Base, complete with bunks, galley tables and stories from Scripps Oceanography researchers like Dale Stokes and Jim Leichter, who’ve completed multiple missions there.—
Michael James Rocha,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
The amber hue of the beaded chokers acts as a neutral color against the lapis-blue top, emulating a similar warmth to the yellow-gold pendant to tie the accessories together.—
Abby Morgan Lebet,
Glamour,
3 Feb. 2026
-
The host acts as dead weight, occupying space without contributing any heat-storage capacity, ultimately diluting the material’s overall efficiency.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Maurice grows steadily more intimate with a friend, Clive, trading books and letters with him over vacation, until Clive professes his love.—
Bekah Waalkes,
The Atlantic,
3 Feb. 2026
-
Ongoing diversity problem Each year, Goodell professes a desire to see the NFL employ fair hiring practices that will ensure the league’s head coaching and general manager ranks reflect strong diversity.—
Mike Jones,
New York Times,
2 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Someone who’s really living the Andrew Tate-like lifestyle Jacob only feigns is his bestie Cameron (Dylan Playfair).—
Dennis Harvey,
Variety,
7 Aug. 2025
-
The second man with a flail steps forward and feigns a move.—
Miguel Torres,
AZCentral.com,
16 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pretends.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pretends. Accessed 5 Feb. 2026.
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