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
Jeff Benjamin,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
All the while, the pair are doing their makeup on the plane ride over, feigning their different emergencies so as not to spoil the surprise.
—
Sara Belcher,
PEOPLE,
20 May 2026
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
Verb
Most artists spend enormous energy maintaining that closeness — or at least feigning it.
—
Jeff Benjamin,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
All the while, the pair are doing their makeup on the plane ride over, feigning their different emergencies so as not to spoil the surprise.
—
Sara Belcher,
PEOPLE,
20 May 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for feigning
Noun
-
Davidson College applied mathematician Tim Chartier ran 1,000 simulations of Paraguay's finishing with four points, and in just one instance did La Albirroja not advance.
-
The Ferrari partnership has catalyzed this philosophy, bringing to bear the materials science, simulation technologies and manufacturing precision that have made Maranello the benchmark of motorsport engineering.
Verb
-
Clarity does not require pretending the fog is gone.
-
This has included perpetrators pretending to administer a survey in their car, posing as a social worker giving away free baby items at their home, accompanying victims to a doctor’s appointment at a nonexistent clinic, and luring them to fake baby showers.
Noun
-
In December 2024, Mangione pleaded not guilty to state murder, weapons and forgery charges brought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.
-
Troupis, Chesebro and Roman face 11 felony forgery charges which are each punishable by up to six years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
Verb
-
This has become increasingly difficult, with professional players routinely simulating injuries and an offside rule that is interpreted to within fractions of an inch.
-
My research focused on simulating how special light waves interact in liquid crystals and using simple equations to approximate and understand those interactions.
Noun
-
The publicly available letter, which was dated June 18, comes as Europe prepares to start implementing more regulations under the AI Act this August, including the transparency obligations requiring companies to disclose deep fakes in audio and visual content.
-
The fakes are similar to the genuine article in appearance, but some show poor craftsmanship.
Verb
-
People also tend to confuse fragrance intensity with cleanliness, assuming a strong smell means a deeper clean.
-
Investors will take riskier positions, assuming the central bank will save them from their own mistakes.
Noun
-
Luxus focuses on pristine-condition assets with clear provenance, reducing risks associated with counterfeits and quality degradation.
-
To me, the result didn’t taste like a cheap counterfeit but a breakthrough.
Noun
-
Fernando Navarro, 53, of Minneapolis, is facing four counts of felony fraud for collecting nearly $70,000 in funds from Minnesota's medical assistance program under false pretenses.
-
Parliament was self-destructively arrogant in declining the colonies any vote or even much pretense of a say.
Cite this Entry
“Feigning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/feigning. Accessed 28 Jun. 2026.
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