pretend to (something)
idiom
formal
: to claim that one has (something, such as a quality or ability)
She pretends to a deep religious devotion, but I don't believe her.
—usually used in negative statementsI don't pretend to any expertise in these matters.
Examples of pretend to (something) in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
This 1999 teen rom-com (named after the Britney Spears song) stars Melissa Joan Hart and Adrian Grenier as neighbors who pretend to date in order to make other people jealous.
—
James Mercadante, EW.com, 17 May 2025
And few 17-year-olds can even pretend to have a career.
—Amy Virshup, Vulture, 14 May 2025
With the three women remaining, Emily convinces her sister to pretend to be her and take accountability for all of the murders.
—Caroline Blair, People.com, 3 May 2025
The attackers planned to use this data to pretend to be Coinbase and convince users to hand over their crypto, while demanding ransom from the exchange to cover it up.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 15 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for pretend to (something)
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James Mercadante, EW.com, 17 May 2025
And few 17-year-olds can even pretend to have a career.
—Amy Virshup, Vulture, 14 May 2025
With the three women remaining, Emily convinces her sister to pretend to be her and take accountability for all of the murders.
—Caroline Blair, People.com, 3 May 2025
The attackers planned to use this data to pretend to be Coinbase and convince users to hand over their crypto, while demanding ransom from the exchange to cover it up.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 15 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for pretend to (something)
Cite this Entry
“Pretend to (something).” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pretend%20to%20%28something%29. Accessed 6 Jun. 2025.
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