as in pretending
to take on a false or deceptive appearance
she's not half as innocent as she likes to let on
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Recent Examples of letting on
Franco's new followers were quick to flood into the comment section with their suspicions that there was more to the posts than the actor was letting on.
—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
16 June 2026
What happens next could matter far more than either side is letting on.
—
Mark Minevich,
Fortune,
12 Mar. 2026
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
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
16 June 2026
What happens next could matter far more than either side is letting on.
—
Mark Minevich,
Fortune,
12 Mar. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for letting on
pretending
Verb
-
Our fear resurfaced days ago on the one-month anniversary, when another alert was issued after a man circled the Islamic Center pretending to possess an explosive device while displaying a Nazi flag.
-
This is not good news for everyone, and pretending otherwise is its own kind of fake value.
Cite this Entry
“Letting on.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/letting%20on. Accessed 4 Jul. 2026.
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