1
as in mock
lacking in natural or spontaneous quality
he shows a pretended affection for his girlfriend's cat
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in fake
not being or expressing what one appears to be or express
hoped that his pretended interest in classical music would impress the boss
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in posed
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
2
as in assumed
to present a false appearance of
as if I would ever pretend illness just to take off a day from work
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pretended
Helen Shaw, Vulture, 28 Mar. 2022
What most activates Dunn’s rage is the misogyny that only deepened amid all the pretended freedoms of the counterculture.
—Sam Sacks, WSJ, 11 Nov. 2022
No, seriously: People were very upset by these shoes, or at least pretended to be.
—Heather Wilhelm, National Review, 31 Aug. 2017
Virginia Chamlee, People.com, 4 Mar. 2025
Josef and Rosemarie raised three of Elisabeth's children, who Josef pretended Elisabeth left on their doorstep, while Elisabeth was forced to raise three of her children in a locked underground compound without windows.
—Jessica Sager, People.com, 1 Mar. 2025
Morant then put the imaginary grenade to his mouth, pretended to pull the pin by biting it, and tossed it.
—Ryan Canfield, FOXNews.com, 9 Apr. 2025
For one YouTube video, Piper pretended to break her leg and have a stroke and was carried away in a fake ambulance.
—Olivia B. Waxman, Time, 9 Apr. 2025
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
In the prank, Nephew Tommy pretended that his organization lost funding due to Crockett’s viral clapbacks.
—Demicia Inman, VIBE.com, 31 Mar. 2025
Davis then shot Harmony in the head and also shot her 10-year-old sister, who suffered a non-fatal bullet wound and pretended to be dead until long after Davis left the residence, according to police.
—Chris Spargo, People.com, 27 Mar. 2025
There have been numerous cases in which criminals have pretended to work for a police department and forged court orders and emergency requests to pilfer personal information that could be used to locate, stalk or harass individuals.
—Thomas Brewster, Forbes, 21 Mar. 2025
Adjective
The woman is long gone, so Freer has to imagine her consent — in a history so full of gaps, coercion, and disappearance, a pretended connection is better than none at all.
—Helen Shaw, Vulture, 28 Mar. 2022
What most activates Dunn’s rage is the misogyny that only deepened amid all the pretended freedoms of the counterculture.
—Sam Sacks, WSJ, 11 Nov. 2022
No, seriously: People were very upset by these shoes, or at least pretended to be.
—Heather Wilhelm, National Review, 31 Aug. 2017
Verb
The newly vegan sister-in-law then called the caterer and pretended to be the bride, adding five new vegan options and approving a $1,500 charge.
—Virginia Chamlee, People.com, 4 Mar. 2025
Josef and Rosemarie raised three of Elisabeth's children, who Josef pretended Elisabeth left on their doorstep, while Elisabeth was forced to raise three of her children in a locked underground compound without windows.
—Jessica Sager, People.com, 1 Mar. 2025
Morant then put the imaginary grenade to his mouth, pretended to pull the pin by biting it, and tossed it.
—Ryan Canfield, FOXNews.com, 9 Apr. 2025
For one YouTube video, Piper pretended to break her leg and have a stroke and was carried away in a fake ambulance.
—Olivia B. Waxman, Time, 9 Apr. 2025
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
In the prank, Nephew Tommy pretended that his organization lost funding due to Crockett’s viral clapbacks.
—Demicia Inman, VIBE.com, 31 Mar. 2025
Davis then shot Harmony in the head and also shot her 10-year-old sister, who suffered a non-fatal bullet wound and pretended to be dead until long after Davis left the residence, according to police.
—Chris Spargo, People.com, 27 Mar. 2025
There have been numerous cases in which criminals have pretended to work for a police department and forged court orders and emergency requests to pilfer personal information that could be used to locate, stalk or harass individuals.
—Thomas Brewster, Forbes, 21 Mar. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pretended
Adjective
-
Afterward, a mock court-martial was held, complete with the sentencing and execution of a private accused of desertion.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
5 Apr. 2025
-
In mock drafts, Hampton is often mocked to the early twenties or even late twenties to a team like the Washington Commanders.—
John W. Dean,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
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
-
Days later, Johnson was photographed on set with fake blood splattered across her face and clothes.—
Jordana Comiter,
People.com,
5 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
When Newcastle received an influx of cash from a sovereign wealth fund, fans assumed a legion of superstars would lead them to Champions League glory.—
Brett Koremenos,
New York Times,
11 Apr. 2025
-
It has long been assumed that no such loan write-offs are allowed to be included in clubs’ PSR calculations.—
Dan Sheldon,
New York Times,
10 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
But the discussion around Golden this season has been muted, strained and careful all the way to the end, Monday’s dramatic 65-63 comeback win against Houston to seize the title.—
Joe Rexrode,
New York Times,
8 Apr. 2025
-
Throughout the series, the strained relationship between father and son highlights the repercussions of family communication breakdowns.—
Laurel Donnellan,
Forbes.com,
8 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
By the time Survivor’s post-merge double elimination episode was complete, only one original Vula member stood to live another day.—
Nick Caruso,
TVLine,
10 Apr. 2025
-
By that same time next year, Munn had a nipple delay procedure, lymph node dissection, a double mastectomy, and reconstructive surgery.—
Jenna Ryu,
SELF,
10 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Prosecutors concluded that the landlord acted in self-defense.—
Sarah Rumpf-Whitten,
FOXNews.com,
12 Apr. 2025
-
Lori also acted as Cameron’s agent for purposes of the ticket that permitted Cameron to enter the game.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
12 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
The experiments were conducted in a wind tunnel that simulated hovering flight conditions, with researchers focusing on accurately discerning wind directions during tethered flapping.—
Kapil Kajal,
Interesting Engineering,
27 Dec. 2024
-
Depending on the intensity, duration and sequence of those vibrations, sensations such as being tapped, stroked or squeezed can be simulated.—
Ben Coxworth,
New Atlas,
23 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
But the jitters still shook him, a false-start whistle blowing on his first 40-yard attempt at February’s NFL combine.—
Luca Evans,
Denver Post,
13 Apr. 2025
-
So the entire trip is based on a false pretense.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
12 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pretended.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pretended. Accessed 20 Apr. 2025.
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