as in pretending
to present a false appearance of
I would never feign illness just to get out of a test
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of feigning
Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 20 Mar. 2026
Thanks for being there and at least feigning interest in my oddball life.
—Marla Jo Fisher, Oc Register, 18 Mar. 2026
Dillon Brooks antagonizing, Devin Booker feigning indifference.
—Jason Quick, New York Times, 2 Mar. 2026
Camille smirks into her wine, feigning terror but secretly gleeful at the display.
—Literary Hub, 24 Feb. 2026
Akhparian asked while patting himself down and feigning to be in search of a weapon.
—Linh Tat, Daily News, 8 Feb. 2026
Taylor ran his route perfectly, feigning a move to his left before turning upfield and finding a sliver of open space in the end zone.
—Ron Kroichick, San Francisco Chronicle, 5 Feb. 2026
Prosecutors noted that even after Navy officials began to scrutinize his activities, Butler attempted to conceal his identity by using a fake name and feigning employment with a fictitious fuel division of a separate company.
—Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 16 Jan. 2026
Katz said, feigning familiarity with the leader’s influence and drawing laughs from the audience.
—Dave Smith, Fortune, 8 Nov. 2025
Verb
When Zuccarello took a swipe with his stick and smacked McCarron in the leg, the big man responded with a Oscar-worthy acting job, feigning like he had been slashed on the wrist.
—Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 20 Mar. 2026
Thanks for being there and at least feigning interest in my oddball life.
—Marla Jo Fisher, Oc Register, 18 Mar. 2026
Dillon Brooks antagonizing, Devin Booker feigning indifference.
—Jason Quick, New York Times, 2 Mar. 2026
Camille smirks into her wine, feigning terror but secretly gleeful at the display.
—Literary Hub, 24 Feb. 2026
Akhparian asked while patting himself down and feigning to be in search of a weapon.
—Linh Tat, Daily News, 8 Feb. 2026
Taylor ran his route perfectly, feigning a move to his left before turning upfield and finding a sliver of open space in the end zone.
—Ron Kroichick, San Francisco Chronicle, 5 Feb. 2026
Prosecutors noted that even after Navy officials began to scrutinize his activities, Butler attempted to conceal his identity by using a fake name and feigning employment with a fictitious fuel division of a separate company.
—Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 16 Jan. 2026
Katz said, feigning familiarity with the leader’s influence and drawing laughs from the audience.
—Dave Smith, Fortune, 8 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for feigning
Noun
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This process will also test new artificial intelligence and high-performance computing tools designed to improve plasma simulations and operational efficiency.—
Aman Tripathi,
Interesting Engineering,
16 May 2026
-
The east campus will include classrooms and simulation labs, and students will do clinical training at the west campus hospital.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
15 May 2026
Verb
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The two initially make a deal where Hannah exchanges free tutoring lessons for Garrett pretending to be her boyfriend, making her crush jealous.—
Caroline Blair,
PEOPLE,
17 May 2026
-
With the war’s turbulence on the economy more prevalent and the internet now throttled, Russians no longer have the luxury of pretending the war in Ukraine isn’t happening.—
Daniel DePetris,
Twin Cities,
15 May 2026
Noun
-
Shortly after Green arrived in a BMW, authorities arrested and charged him with forgery and larceny.—
Erin Moriarty,
CBS News,
17 May 2026
-
The latest movie, Hannah, a baker turned amateur detective investigates the murder of a key witness in a high-profile forgery case, and the disappearance of the lead prosecutor in the case.—
Lori A Bashian , Larry Fink,
FOXNews.com,
16 May 2026
Verb
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That point was acknowledged immediately with the title track – not played since 2009 – opening the show as motion-simulating video tilted and zipped through a vibrant carnival.—
Melissa Ruggieri,
USA Today,
7 May 2026
-
Separate tests examined how the thermal protection system performs when its surface is damaged, simulating impacts from debris or micrometeoroids.—
Josh Dinner,
Space.com,
6 May 2026
Noun
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Some of the most damaging fakes get through because nobody on the defense side knew to challenge them.—
Lars Daniel,
Forbes.com,
14 May 2026
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Once word got out about the reports in Ohio, so did the obvious fakes.—
Andy Rose,
CNN Money,
8 May 2026
Verb
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One defendant is accused of assuming the identity of at least four residents in Maryland with the fraudulent intent to obtain payments valued at over $1,500 that were disbursed from the state’s Medicaid program.—
Brendan Nordstrom,
Baltimore Sun,
11 May 2026
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The diagrams of passengers pulling out floatation devices and assuming crash position were presented with a crisp, legible aesthetic similar to the look of Ikezoe’s paintings.—
Alex Greenberger,
ARTnews.com,
11 May 2026
Noun
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Unprosecuted crimes against the public — such as the widespread sale of 78-cent postage stamps for 19 cents to 59 cents, rolls of 100, counterfeits all, for years online.—
Lucas Robinson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 May 2026
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Its expert team enforces strict production rules, promotes the brand globally, fights counterfeits and certifies every wheel.—
Antonia Mortensen,
CNN Money,
2 May 2026
Noun
-
In the movie, members of the narcotics unit face suspicion for allegedly stealing some of the money under false pretenses and for their own benefit.—
Michael Ruiz,
FOXNews.com,
11 May 2026
-
The company seems to have dropped any pretence of regular pricing.—
Janhoi McGregor,
Forbes.com,
9 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Feigning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/feigning. Accessed 19 May. 2026.
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