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
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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
Brendan Morrow, USA TODAY, 31 Dec. 2024
Oh Il-nam (Oh Yeong-su), a dying old man who pretended to be Gi-hun’s ally in the game.
—Josh Wigler, The Hollywood Reporter, 23 Dec. 2024
Roc Nation agents allegedly pretended to work for the State of Texas and flashed fake badges, Buzbee said.
—Gord Magill, Newsweek, 20 Dec. 2024
In the meantime, Griffin pretended to like the other gift.
—Raechal Shewfelt, EW.com, 20 Dec. 2024
Upon Cannon’s announcement, one Buffalo dropped to the stage floor and pretended to make snow angels.
—Malia Mendez, Los Angeles Times, 19 Dec. 2024
Ryan Harris, 36, of New Orleans, was among eight people and two law firms that have been charged in what federal prosecutors say was a yearslong scheme of crashing vehicles into tractor-trailers, fleeing while passengers in those vehicles pretended to be the drivers and lying about what happened.
—Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 14 Dec. 2024
Scottsdale police allege Hussein pretended to be a rideshare driver between March and December 2024.
—Jimmy Jenkins, The Arizona Republic, 13 Dec. 2024
John pretended to fake fight me at The P @princetonavnj .
—Danielle Jennings, People.com, 12 Dec. 2024
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
Seemingly as a gag to portray a darker Buddy, Ferrell held what appeared to be an unlit cigarette in his mouth and pretended to smoke it.
—Brendan Morrow, USA TODAY, 31 Dec. 2024
Oh Il-nam (Oh Yeong-su), a dying old man who pretended to be Gi-hun’s ally in the game.
—Josh Wigler, The Hollywood Reporter, 23 Dec. 2024
Roc Nation agents allegedly pretended to work for the State of Texas and flashed fake badges, Buzbee said.
—Gord Magill, Newsweek, 20 Dec. 2024
In the meantime, Griffin pretended to like the other gift.
—Raechal Shewfelt, EW.com, 20 Dec. 2024
Upon Cannon’s announcement, one Buffalo dropped to the stage floor and pretended to make snow angels.
—Malia Mendez, Los Angeles Times, 19 Dec. 2024
Ryan Harris, 36, of New Orleans, was among eight people and two law firms that have been charged in what federal prosecutors say was a yearslong scheme of crashing vehicles into tractor-trailers, fleeing while passengers in those vehicles pretended to be the drivers and lying about what happened.
—Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 14 Dec. 2024
Scottsdale police allege Hussein pretended to be a rideshare driver between March and December 2024.
—Jimmy Jenkins, The Arizona Republic, 13 Dec. 2024
John pretended to fake fight me at The P @princetonavnj .
—Danielle Jennings, People.com, 12 Dec. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pretended
Adjective
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This is the version (1.0) version of his mock draft, and there could easily be revisions made necessary by trades, medical history and players rising and falling.—
Omar Kelly,
Miami Herald,
21 Mar. 2025
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One surprising faller in the latest mock draft from Brent Sobleski of Bleacher Report is top tight end prospect Tyler Warren.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
Newsweek,
20 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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At times, these characters surrounded by the green and gold blur of jungle and sunshine almost look fake, or as if they’re being shot in a studio.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes,
24 Mar. 2025
-
The goal of creating a convincing but fake person is at the core of A.I.’s origin story.—
Jaron Lanier,
The New Yorker,
22 Mar. 2025
Verb
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On the other end, Gibbs began to slither his way into open space, and the Lions assumed full control.—
Alec Lewis,
The Athletic,
6 Jan. 2025
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As an incentive for the teams to stick around, the city assumed ownership of the land but agreed to give it back to the teams at the expiration of a ground lease in 2023, according to documents reviewed by The Post.—
Bennett Durando,
The Denver Post,
5 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
The conference illuminated the increasingly strained relationship between Israel and its traditional allies in the West, which have grown uneasy with Israeli politics and the direction of the country’s devastating war in Gaza.—
Julia Frankel and Leo Correa,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Mar. 2025
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Enter left-hander Nestor Cortes Jr., who had not pitched in five weeks because of a strained elbow flexor.—
Ken Rosenthal,
The Athletic,
25 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
McIlroy bogeyed the island-green hole after missing a 9-foot putt for par, but Spaun fared far worse, sending his tee shot into the water and eventually making triple bogey, including missing a 10-foot putt for double.—
David Faris,
Newsweek,
18 Mar. 2025
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Her modern, minimalist pieces—such as a black bowl with a double lip and a beige cup with a crackled, rustlike patina—had already made frequent appearances at the salon.—
Rebekah Peppler,
Travel + Leisure,
18 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Reese acted as a robot, basically.—
Simon Thompson,
Forbes,
24 Dec. 2024
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Our nurses who acted with such courage and dedication during the pandemic.—
Robert B. Reich,
Hartford Courant,
24 Dec. 2024
Verb
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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
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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
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Fowler played more of a false nine and dropped deeper to stitch the play together, combining well with Jill Roord.—
Charlotte Harpur,
The Athletic,
20 Mar. 2025
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The pivotal addition to the the state Civil Code reads: Existing law provides that libel is a false and unprivileged written publication that injures the reputation and that slander is a false and unprivileged publication, orally uttered, that injures the reputation, as specified.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
20 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pretended.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pretended. Accessed 31 Mar. 2025.
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