variants
or pretence
1
as in affectation
the quality or state of appearing or trying to appear more important or more valuable than is the case
she seemed to be a very down-to-earth woman who was completely free of pretense
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in airs
a display of emotion or behavior that is insincere or intended to deceive
her display of bravado was just a pretense
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in claim
an entitlement to something
this book on gardening makes no pretense at completeness
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in arrogance
an exaggerated sense of one's importance that shows itself in the making of excessive or unjustified claims
the pretense of that woman in thinking that the other hotel guests should be inconvenienced just for her
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pretense
Theft by false pretense: Someone contacted a Saratoga resident claiming to work for Kaiser Hospital and the Chinese police.
—
Anne Gelhaus, Mercury News, 17 June 2025
Tiron Alexander, 35, was convicted by a federal jury of wire fraud and entering a secure area of an airport by false pretenses on June 5, according to a press release by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida.
—Pilar Arias, FOXNews.com, 17 June 2025
World & Nation Sean Combs’ inner circle reveals a world of guns, abuse, kidnapping and death threats
May 28, 2025
The federal indictment alleges that Combs and his associates lured female victims, often under the pretense of a romantic relationship.
—Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 17 June 2025
He’s sent the National Guard into L.A. under the pretense of fighting crime — over the objections of local leaders — in a dangerous overreach.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 13 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for pretense
Anne Gelhaus, Mercury News, 17 June 2025
Tiron Alexander, 35, was convicted by a federal jury of wire fraud and entering a secure area of an airport by false pretenses on June 5, according to a press release by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida.
—Pilar Arias, FOXNews.com, 17 June 2025
World & Nation Sean Combs’ inner circle reveals a world of guns, abuse, kidnapping and death threats
May 28, 2025
The federal indictment alleges that Combs and his associates lured female victims, often under the pretense of a romantic relationship.
—Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 17 June 2025
He’s sent the National Guard into L.A. under the pretense of fighting crime — over the objections of local leaders — in a dangerous overreach.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 13 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for pretense
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pretense
Noun
-
From our review: Tessa Van den Broeck, a newcomer, plays Julie with zero affectation.—
The New York Times,
New York Times,
28 Mar. 2025
-
No fussy affectations, just a deliberate tamping down of his more charismatic qualities.—
A.A. Dowd,
Rolling Stone,
25 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Asked by email about its response to the claim, a PRISM official declined to release any information.—
Phil Diehl,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
23 June 2025
-
Lawsuits According to Swiss Re, a surging number of legal cases and sky-high litigation costs – blamed in at least some part to the proliferation of personal-injury lawyers’ ads on TV and other sources – have driven car insurance liability claims in the U.S. up by 57% over the last decade.—
Jim Gorzelany,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2025
Noun
-
The lines between competitive stubbornness and plain old stubbornness, a healthy arrogance and prideful ignorance are pretty thin.—
Will Graves,
The Orlando Sentinel,
6 June 2025
-
Individuals with big egos display excessive pride in their abilities and accomplishments, often leading to arrogance and overconfidence.—
AllBusiness,
Forbes.com,
3 June 2025
Noun
-
Each installment was a chance for a new joke, a new observation—about fashion, dating, public restrooms, artistic pretensions, being mistaken for a man—in an era when popular depictions of lesbian experience were rare.—
Charlie Tyson,
New Yorker,
4 June 2025
-
Her generation had its pretensions, however rough the family seems now.—
Stephanie Bunbury,
Deadline,
21 May 2025
Noun
-
Grace reminds us that spaceflight is not just a feat of engineering, but an act of goodwill to the benefit of every human everywhere.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
27 June 2025
-
The group relocated briefly to San Francisco in 1966, playing gigs and honing their live act.—
Gail Mitchell,
Billboard,
27 June 2025
Noun
-
Yet as more data has emerged demonstrating the safety or even superiority of AI for some tasks, those views are likely changing.—
Jesse Pines,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
-
Red Bull enjoyed a period of superiority since the inception of the current ground effect era in 2022, thanks to the aerodynamic expertise of the team's former chief technical officer, Adrian Newey.—
Saajan Jogia,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 June 2025
Noun
-
Nationwide, more than 145 people have been hospitalized with measles so far this year, federal data show, and many of those hospitalized have needed intensive care.—
Rong-Gong Lin II,
Los Angeles Times,
26 June 2025
-
Almost 205,000 Hispanics live in Mecklenburg, the data shows, or about 58% of the region’s population of Latinos.—
Desiree Mathurin,
Charlotte Observer,
26 June 2025
Noun
-
The capitalist assumption that individuals should earn their livelihood through labor doesn't work anymore when machines outperform humans at both speed and cost.—
Newsweek Staff,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 June 2025
-
However, that was based on the assumption that the district would receive $300 million in additional funding from the state or the city, which hasn’t materialized.—
Kate Armanini,
Chicago Tribune,
27 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pretense.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pretense. Accessed 6 Jul. 2025.
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