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making a pretense

phrase

present participle of make a pretense
as in pretending
to take on a false or deceptive appearance He didn't even make a pretense of appreciating her artwork.

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for making a pretense
making a show
Phrase
  • Daemon charged his queen with making a show of strength for all the realm to see, and her response is to once again visit the High Septon and beg for an anointing.
    — Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 10 Aug. 2026
  • And despite making a show of clashing with the Pentagon over concerns about the safe deployment of its AI systems, Anthropic also let the military use its Claude AI to select targets in Iran.
    — Frank Landymore, Futurism, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of making a show
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.

Browse Nearby Words

making amends (for)
making a pretense
making a scene
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Making a pretense.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/making%20a%20pretense. Accessed 29 Sep. 2026.

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