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
The defense of Putin’s regime has been offered by people operating as literary critics, ever disassembling and dissembling.
—
Timothy Snyder, Foreign Affairs, 6 Sep. 2022
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
As are Philip and Elizabeth Jennings, always knowing the precise right play: who’s dissembling, where’s the weak spot.
—Laura Kipnis, WIRED, 5 Dec. 2023
See All Example Sentences for dissemble
Timothy Snyder, Foreign Affairs, 6 Sep. 2022
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
As are Philip and Elizabeth Jennings, always knowing the precise right play: who’s dissembling, where’s the weak spot.
—Laura Kipnis, WIRED, 5 Dec. 2023
See All Example Sentences for dissemble
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dissemble
Verb
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Rick, who pretended to be a film producer to weasel his way into the home of Jim and Sritala (Lek Patravadi) and confront Jim over potentially murdering his father.—
Randall Colburn,
EW.com,
4 Apr. 2025
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This prompt gives you enough talking points to contribute thoughtfully without pretending to be an expert.—
Dr. Diane Hamilton,
Forbes.com,
4 Apr. 2025
Verb
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And there’s usually some wiggle room, a premium being paid to reap future opportunities or a discount to assume some risk.—
Evan Clark,
Footwear News,
10 Apr. 2025
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Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Kevin Brazile, in a tentative ruling issued on Thursday, denied CBS’ bid for a court order that would’ve temporarily blocked Sony’s efforts from assuming distribution.—
Winston Cho,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Apr. 2025
Verb
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At the same time, AI tools can simulate these attacks so security teams can identify and address organizational vulnerabilities before an actual attack takes place.—
David Henkin,
Forbes.com,
8 Apr. 2025
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In early February, New Shepard successfully simulated the moon's low gravity on board its capsule during a brief flight.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
7 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dissemble.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dissemble. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
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