pretend to (something)
idiom
formal
: to claim that one has (something, such as a quality or ability)
She pretends to a deep religious devotion, but I don't believe her.
—usually used in negative statementsI don't pretend to any expertise in these matters.
Examples of pretend to (something) in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Nico immediately reports the offer to Carter, who tells him to pretend to agree to the deal with the caveat that the first payment must be made in person.
—
Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 20 Sep. 2024
Bring engineering to life with the new Melissa & Doug Blockables Building Sets or pretend to be chemistry whizzes with the Mr. Beast Lab Mutators Gold Panther Action Figure.
—Quincy Bulin, Parents, 18 Sep. 2024
After an 80-yard touchdown reception, Hill appeared to pretend to be handcuffed during an endzone celebration.
—Ayana Archie, NPR, 9 Sep. 2024
Typically, the scammer will try to communicate through these methods and pretend to be a legitimate business, government agency, or tech support worker.
—Anna Gordon, TIME, 4 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for pretend to (something) 
Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 20 Sep. 2024
Bring engineering to life with the new Melissa & Doug Blockables Building Sets or pretend to be chemistry whizzes with the Mr. Beast Lab Mutators Gold Panther Action Figure.
—Quincy Bulin, Parents, 18 Sep. 2024
After an 80-yard touchdown reception, Hill appeared to pretend to be handcuffed during an endzone celebration.
—Ayana Archie, NPR, 9 Sep. 2024
Typically, the scammer will try to communicate through these methods and pretend to be a legitimate business, government agency, or tech support worker.
—Anna Gordon, TIME, 4 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for pretend to (something)
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pretend to (something).' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near pretend to (something)
Cite this Entry
“Pretend to (something).” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pretend%20to%20%28something%29. Accessed 27 Sep. 2024.
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