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
-
Visitors to his site have run tens of thousands of simulations, which right now put the odds of a Democratic freeze-out at about 17% to 20%.—
Mark Z. Barabak,
Mercury News,
4 Apr. 2026
-
This finding allows computer simulations to match experimental results, which provides a tool for designing future fusion power plants.—
Aman Tripathi,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
After the shot missed wildly, mascots rushed the floor pretending the deep 3-pointer went through the net.—
Bennett Conlin,
Baltimore Sun,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Dayle’s satirical novel follows a white flag-bearer pretending to be a Black soldier during the Civil War.—
Mike Danahey,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Court records said Dintaman, 47, pleaded guilty last October to one count each of conspiracy to commit false pretenses over $100,000, uttering and publishing, forgery and using a computer to commit a crime.—
Nick Lentz,
CBS News,
5 Apr. 2026
-
He's also spent time in prison on multiple theft and forgery charges, according to previous IndyStar reporting.—
Jordan Smith,
IndyStar,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The first modern computers used analog systems, which were especially useful for solving problems and simulating dynamic systems in real time.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Finance can also use AI to improve forecasting—and to develop predictive forecasts—not only by generating new scenarios but simulating them, too, Mittal says.—
NBC news,
NBC news,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
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McEnelly played defense the rest of the way, mixing in fakes where needed to keep Welsh at bay.—
Twin Cities,
Twin Cities,
22 Mar. 2026
-
People may just give up on trying to sort the real from the fake.—
Nick Dothée,
The Atlantic,
22 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
But rather that sometimes, particularly with adult-child conflicts, the adult has to be very intentional about trying their best and assuming the best of the child.—
R. Eric Thomas,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Apr. 2026
-
The team went into filming Company Retreat assuming the process would be easier than season one.—
Angelina Mazza,
Vulture,
7 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Greece, home to an extensive repository of cultural artifacts, has long contended with the proliferation of counterfeits and the looting of archaeological sites.—
Tessa Solomon,
ARTnews.com,
9 Apr. 2026
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Superfakes is about a small-time Chinatown luxury counterfeit dealer who enters a dangerous black-market underworld in order to fund a life of suburban respectability for her family.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
18 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The case also ties to an earlier incident on March 24, when police say Alexander approached a woman under the pretense of asking for directions while engaging in indecent behavior.—
Sergio Candido,
CBS News,
5 Apr. 2026
-
Maybe the pretense was comforting to him, too.—
Cassandra Neyenesch,
New Yorker,
29 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Feigning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/feigning. Accessed 10 Apr. 2026.
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