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
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Recent Examples of pretend
Larry Holder, New York Times, 22 Aug. 2025
There is no point pretending things aren’t tough (a Bectu survey published in the past few hours found nearly half of the TV workforce are out of work) but there is definitely a more coherent approach to making things work in the industry and Edinburgh reflected this.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 22 Aug. 2025
Bestreviews, Mercury News, 4 Aug. 2025
That’s the process by which the White House arrived at the pretend tariff rate of 67 percent, which the Chinese government hypothetically applies to U.S. exports.
—Robert Goulder, Forbes.com, 28 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for pretend
Verb
The Brooklyn Cyclones, a High-A affiliate of the Mets, have done bobbleheads of George in his Gore-Tex coat, and pulling a golf ball out of a whale’s blowhole while pretending to be a marine biologist.
—Larry Holder, New York Times, 22 Aug. 2025
There is no point pretending things aren’t tough (a Bectu survey published in the past few hours found nearly half of the TV workforce are out of work) but there is definitely a more coherent approach to making things work in the industry and Edinburgh reflected this.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 22 Aug. 2025
Adjective
From brooms and mops to wooden dress-up sets with magnets to dollhouses and animal playsets, Melissa & Doug have lots of choices of pretend play toys.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 4 Aug. 2025
That’s the process by which the White House arrived at the pretend tariff rate of 67 percent, which the Chinese government hypothetically applies to U.S. exports.
—Robert Goulder, Forbes.com, 28 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for pretend
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pretend
Verb
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Henderson posed a significant challenge for the Seahawks’ defenders.—
Shreyas Laddha,
Kansas City Star,
30 Aug. 2025
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However, this poses a dilemma during travel, since packing a steamer in my carry-on bag isn’t always an option.—
Genevieve Cepeda,
Travel + Leisure,
30 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Armadillos are often assumed to be a critter of the wild west, but they can actually be found in several places across the United States, including Indiana.—
Katie Wiseman,
IndyStar,
22 Aug. 2025
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Probably safe to assume Leto’s DAMAGED take on the Joker won’t be reappearing in the DCU.—
Scott Meslow,
Vulture,
22 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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During 1-on-1 drills, Morris lined up against London, looking to press the wideout as a faux defensive back.—
Hailey Hurst,
CNN Money,
14 Aug. 2025
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Key styles include knitted jacquard suiting and reversible coats lined with faux fur, satin pants, tweed suits, and modern pinstripes on chiffon.—
Roxanne Robinson,
Forbes.com,
13 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Now it's woke again for trying to wipe an imaginary farmer from its logo.—
Neal Rubin,
Freep.com,
28 Aug. 2025
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Americans love to keep an imaginary list of life milestones–buy a home, start a family, hit six figures, all complete with age expiration dates.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
27 Aug. 2025
Verb
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His dad, Frank Beamer, spent three decades building a legacy as Virginia Tech’s greatest football coach, and Shane Beamer played there and coached for five seasons under his father.—
David Ubben,
New York Times,
1 Sep. 2025
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This year's slate of 9:30 a.m. international games, again, starts in Week 4 when the Vikings play Steelers and Rodgers at Croke Park in the NFL's first regular-season game in Dublin, Ireland.—
Jim Sergent,
USA Today,
1 Sep. 2025
Verb
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In April, an E-6B aircraft simulated the launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile using the ALCS.—
Ryan Chan,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 Aug. 2025
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Vermeulen is a prominent space systems researcher who commanded the first HI-SEAS (Hawaii Space Exploration Analog and Simulation) mission in 2013 — a four-month-long Mars habitat analog experiment that aimed to simulate life on a Mars base.—
Ian Stokes,
Space.com,
21 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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The Broncos lost three fumbles, committed eight penalties, gave up a TD on a fake punt, got burned by big plays and had eight straight drives end without any points.—
Shaun Goodwin,
Idaho Statesman,
29 Aug. 2025
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Some of it is straight-up misinformation, like fake clips of celebrities rescuing people from the Texas floods in July.—
John Ruwitch,
NPR,
28 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Rather than young school children, our heroes are octogenarians living in a rather upmarket retirement home (the fictitious Coopers Chase).—
Alex Ritman,
Variety,
28 Aug. 2025
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The association that Fuller makes with an entirely fictitious racial group—Indo-European for many racists both inside and outside the fascist movement, and more specifically Indo-German for some Nazis—only occurred later.—
Stewart Home
August 22,
Literary Hub,
22 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pretend.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pretend. Accessed 3 Sep. 2025.
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