1
as in to pretend
to present a false appearance of
he dissembled happiness at the news that his old girlfriend was getting married—to someone else
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2
as in to dissimulate
to take on a false or deceptive appearance
children learn to dissemble at a surprisingly early age
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of dissemble
You’d like your government to tell you the truth, and the government dissembled repeatedly after the raid about what the rules of engagement were.
—
Aryeh Neier, The New York Review of Books, 3 Mar. 2025
Pushing back on reporters, at the time Scher often dissembled and appeared to brush aside concerns about what was clearly an increasingly out-of-control situation.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 19 July 2024
That same week, Altman made headlines at a Senate hearing by asking to be regulated — wowing senators who were more accustomed to tech CEOs dissembling or responding evasively to questions.
—Brian Fung, CNN, 14 Feb. 2024
That year, with 23,000 U.S. troops in Vietnam, the administration was still dissembling about the American role in the war.
—Trip Gabriel, New York Times, 2 Feb. 2024
See All Example Sentences for dissemble
Aryeh Neier, The New York Review of Books, 3 Mar. 2025
Pushing back on reporters, at the time Scher often dissembled and appeared to brush aside concerns about what was clearly an increasingly out-of-control situation.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 19 July 2024
That same week, Altman made headlines at a Senate hearing by asking to be regulated — wowing senators who were more accustomed to tech CEOs dissembling or responding evasively to questions.
—Brian Fung, CNN, 14 Feb. 2024
That year, with 23,000 U.S. troops in Vietnam, the administration was still dissembling about the American role in the war.
—Trip Gabriel, New York Times, 2 Feb. 2024
See All Example Sentences for dissemble
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dissemble
Verb
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The show then cut over to a Good Morning America clip that sees Haines pretend to faint when the superhero swings into frame.—
Emlyn Travis Published,
EW.com,
26 June 2025
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Have you ever been contacted by someone pretending to be Elon Musk?—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
26 June 2025
Verb
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Some may assume that losing teeth is just part of growing older.—
Reem Amro,
FOXNews.com,
22 June 2025
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This is assuming that the plants in question are ones that need full sun.—
Dr. Matthew Lisy,
Hartford Courant,
21 June 2025
Verb
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Caterpillar has invested significantly in smart sensors for real-time machine monitoring, Ford simulates assembly lines to detect bottlenecks before implementing real-world updates, and GE used autonomous mobile robots to increase throughput in its medical equipment repair center.—
Kristen Waggoner,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 June 2025
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These exercises simulate real-world ransomware attack scenarios, allowing teams to practice their response, uncover weaknesses in security posture, refine communication protocols and build confidence, all without requiring new tools or costly technology investments.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
24 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dissemble.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dissemble. Accessed 6 Jul. 2025.
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