variants
or pretence
1
as in affectation
the quality or state of appearing or trying to appear more important or more valuable than is the case
she seemed to be a very down-to-earth woman who was completely free of pretense
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in airs
a display of emotion or behavior that is insincere or intended to deceive
her display of bravado was just a pretense
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in claim
an entitlement to something
this book on gardening makes no pretense at completeness
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in arrogance
an exaggerated sense of one's importance that shows itself in the making of excessive or unjustified claims
the pretense of that woman in thinking that the other hotel guests should be inconvenienced just for her
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pretense
But sometimes the pretense of consensus can perpetuate attachment to an unjust status quo.
—
Jennifer Szalai, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2025
For more about how to tell generative AI to carry out a pretense, known as an AI persona, see my coverage at the link here.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 29 Apr. 2025
Television was still pretty new and kiddie shows portrayed grown-ups as kind and wise and caring — a concept, or pretense, long ago abandoned by Nick and Disney show writers.
—Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 2 Apr. 2025
In the source material, Dina’s pregnancy is used as an excuse to leave her behind in the theatre, pitting players as Ellie alone, who can set aside any pretenses of the journey being anything more than a revenge mission without her partner’s safety to worry about.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 5 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for pretense
Jennifer Szalai, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2025
For more about how to tell generative AI to carry out a pretense, known as an AI persona, see my coverage at the link here.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 29 Apr. 2025
Television was still pretty new and kiddie shows portrayed grown-ups as kind and wise and caring — a concept, or pretense, long ago abandoned by Nick and Disney show writers.
—Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 2 Apr. 2025
In the source material, Dina’s pregnancy is used as an excuse to leave her behind in the theatre, pitting players as Ellie alone, who can set aside any pretenses of the journey being anything more than a revenge mission without her partner’s safety to worry about.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 5 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for pretense
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pretense
Noun
-
From our review: Tessa Van den Broeck, a newcomer, plays Julie with zero affectation.—
The New York Times,
New York Times,
28 Mar. 2025
-
No fussy affectations, just a deliberate tamping down of his more charismatic qualities.—
A.A. Dowd,
Rolling Stone,
25 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Government attorneys requested the dismissal of his asylum claim.—
Billal Rahman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 May 2025
-
And, though Musk’s antics put DOGE at the center of the national conversation for a time, much of its actual work was conducted in secret, despite claims of transparency.—
Jon Allsop,
New Yorker,
30 May 2025
Noun
-
Opinion: America was gaslit by the arrogance of Joe Biden and his enablers.—
Andrew J. Campa,
Los Angeles Times,
25 May 2025
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The arrogance of the IRS should shock the conscience of all Americans.—
Chuck Flint,
Boston Herald,
21 May 2025
Noun
-
Nothing will knock the pretension out of you faster than having to go cover the sewage board hearing and having to type the school lunch menus.—
Samantha Dunn,
Oc Register,
11 Apr. 2025
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Boasting fresh sea air, healing waters and inspiring natural light, this area of the country offers a unique opportunity to experience luxury the Danish way: without pretension, surrounded by nature and the highest quality art, food and design.—
Lois Alter Mark,
Forbes.com,
9 May 2025
Noun
-
When the Parks and Recreation alum was shot and killed at just 59 years old during a dispute with his neighbor on Sunday, June 1, his husband, Tristan Kern de Gonzales, claimed the act of violence was a hate crime.—
Liza Esquibias,
People.com,
3 June 2025
-
The act of finding and identifying the missing was thus seen as essential for rebuilding a nation, whose identity is shaped by those who disappeared.—
Leo Barraclough,
Variety,
3 June 2025
Noun
-
The formal presentation took place in the same battle-scarred stadium, Berlin’s Olympiastadion, where Adolf Hitler watched Owens, the Black American athlete, win four gold medals in the 1936 Games, dealing a blow to Hitler’s notions of racial superiority.—
Ciarán Fahey,
Chicago Tribune,
27 May 2025
-
Imagine a future Supreme Court case challenging church-state separation, with Christians vying against Christians for superiority.—
Emmett Coyne,
The Hill,
23 May 2025
Noun
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The show the British band put on May 31 at Stanford Stadium, which kicks off a final leg of a planetary peregrination that ends this fall in London, was good fun polished to a delirious sheen.—
Marco della Cava,
USA Today,
2 June 2025
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The show, featuring dealers from eight states, is presented by the Chicago Suburban Antiques Dealers Association.—
Melinda Moore,
Chicago Tribune,
2 June 2025
Noun
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Courts are also increasingly scrutinizing environmental claims—down to the assumptions behind individual offsets.—
Felicia Jackson,
Forbes.com,
3 June 2025
-
Mass incarceration, which swept the country in the late twentieth century, rested on the assumption that a person spoiling for a fight with another person was weighing costs: that the difference between ten years and twenty-five would matter.—
Malcolm Gladwell,
New Yorker,
2 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pretense.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pretense. Accessed 7 Jun. 2025.
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