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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of pretend
David Robert Grimes, Scientific American, 3 Apr. 2025
As the Huskies prepare to face No. 1 overall seed UCLA in the Final Four on Friday (9:30 p.m., ESPN) at Amalie Arena, there’s no more pretending that the next matchup is just like any other.
—Emily Adams, Hartford Courant, 3 Apr. 2025
Bestreviews, The Mercury News, 27 Feb. 2025
Kotb was riding her Peloton bike while her daughter played on a pretend bike and lifted miniature weights.
—Matt Robison, Newsweek, 25 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pretend
Verb
With the reelection of Trump, our tech giants now no longer even pretend to care.
—David Robert Grimes, Scientific American, 3 Apr. 2025
As the Huskies prepare to face No. 1 overall seed UCLA in the Final Four on Friday (9:30 p.m., ESPN) at Amalie Arena, there’s no more pretending that the next matchup is just like any other.
—Emily Adams, Hartford Courant, 3 Apr. 2025
Adjective
What are the best play kitchens for kids? Play kitchens are popular with all kinds of children as an excellent vehicle for pretend play, whether playing solo, with other kids or adults.
—Bestreviews, The Mercury News, 27 Feb. 2025
Kotb was riding her Peloton bike while her daughter played on a pretend bike and lifted miniature weights.
—Matt Robison, Newsweek, 25 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pretend
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pretend
Verb
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Which again, then posed for African Americans, stressing their fiscal citizenship was key to their own Black politics during the Jim Crow era.—
Tax Notes Staff,
Forbes.com,
8 Apr. 2025
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Even before the recent cuts, watchdog officials considered the agency's thin federal workforce, which oversees more than 60,000 contract employees, to be an an Achilles heel that poses significant risk of fraud, waste, and abuse of taxpayer funds.—
Davis Winkie,
USA Today,
8 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
Adjective
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The front fascia has also been revised, with a new faux grille design, a 2-D version of the marque’s four-ring logo, and even more prominent side air ducts.—
Bryan Hood,
Robb Report,
2 Apr. 2025
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During a love scene filmed on a bed with faux furs, Pike said was wearing nipple covers secured with tape.—
Lisa Respers France,
CNN Money,
2 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Barrymore then launched up from her seat to showcase how Mr. Clean shows off his sensual side, shaking her hips and waving an imaginary mop.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
31 Mar. 2025
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Don’t wait for an official decision – get your imaginary head space cast list started.—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
31 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Engage Your Senses In a shared office environment, playing loud music or lighting a scented candle is frowned upon.—
Kate Wieczorek,
Forbes.com,
29 Mar. 2025
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Goodrich leads all scorers with 39 points in the 106-98 loss at Chicago. 1972 — Wilt Chamberlain plays his last pro basketball game.—
Houston Mitchell,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Mar. 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
Adjective
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These platforms sell complete phishing kits—web hosting, SMS delivery systems, fake landing pages, encryption tools—to other cybercriminals who want to run scams at scale.—
Alex Vakulov,
Forbes.com,
6 Apr. 2025
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Frisco police are investigating a series of fake social media posts made this week after the killing of a 17-year-old student at a track meet, Police Chief David Shilson said.—
Lillie Davidson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
5 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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In addition to retiring the mortgage early, the move would save our fictitious borrower $46,920.89 in interest.—
Gary Sandler,
USA Today,
6 Apr. 2025
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Between February and August 2022, prosecutors say Santos used her credit card repeatedly, attributing donations to her, her daughter, or fictitious names.—
Jason Volack,
ABC News,
5 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pretend.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pretend. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
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