as in pretending
to take on a false or deceptive appearance
she's not half as innocent as she likes to let on
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of letting on
But if any such expansion plans are in the works, Goldman isn’t letting on.
—
Josef Adalian, Vulture, 30 Oct. 2025
But according to renowned astrologer Chani Nicholas, the implications are more complicated than certain media may be letting on.
—Quispe López, Them., 9 Sep. 2025
Josef Adalian, Vulture, 30 Oct. 2025
But according to renowned astrologer Chani Nicholas, the implications are more complicated than certain media may be letting on.
—Quispe López, Them., 9 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for letting on
pretending
Verb
-
There wouldn’t have been any point to our pretending not to be Jewish, because everybody thought of us as Jewish and that would never change.—
Nicholas Lemann,
New Yorker,
21 Feb. 2026
-
The series of snaps opens with the singer pretending to chat on an old-fashioned rotary dial phone while wearing a brown animal-print coat with leather and feather accents.—
Gil Kaufman,
Billboard,
17 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Letting on.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/letting%20on. Accessed 28 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
