pose 1 of 3

Definition of posenext

pose

2 of 3

verb (2)

pose

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noun

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun pose contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of pose are affectation, airs, air, and mannerism. While all these words mean "an adopted way of speaking or behaving," pose implies an attitude deliberately assumed in order to impress others.

her shyness was just a pose

When might affectation be a better fit than pose?

Although the words affectation and pose have much in common, affectation applies to a trick of speech or behavior that strikes the observer as insincere.

the posh accent is an affectation

When could air be used to replace pose?

The words air and pose can be used in similar contexts, but air may suggest natural acquirement through environment or way of life.

a traveler's sophisticated air

In what contexts can airs take the place of pose?

In some situations, the words airs and pose are roughly equivalent. However, airs always implies artificiality and pretentiousness.

snobbish airs

Where would mannerism be a reasonable alternative to pose?

While in some cases nearly identical to pose, mannerism applies to an acquired eccentricity that has become a habit.

gesturing with a cigarette was her most noticeable mannerism

How does the noun pose contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of pose are affectation, airs, air, and mannerism. While all these words mean "an adopted way of speaking or behaving," pose implies an attitude deliberately assumed in order to impress others.

her shyness was just a pose

When might affectation be a better fit than pose?

Although the words affectation and pose have much in common, affectation applies to a trick of speech or behavior that strikes the observer as insincere.

the posh accent is an affectation

When could air be used to replace pose?

The words air and pose can be used in similar contexts, but air may suggest natural acquirement through environment or way of life.

a traveler's sophisticated air

In what contexts can airs take the place of pose?

In some situations, the words airs and pose are roughly equivalent. However, airs always implies artificiality and pretentiousness.

snobbish airs

Where would mannerism be a reasonable alternative to pose?

While in some cases nearly identical to pose, mannerism applies to an acquired eccentricity that has become a habit.

gesturing with a cigarette was her most noticeable mannerism

How does the noun pose contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of pose are affectation, airs, air, and mannerism. While all these words mean "an adopted way of speaking or behaving," pose implies an attitude deliberately assumed in order to impress others.

her shyness was just a pose

When might affectation be a better fit than pose?

Although the words affectation and pose have much in common, affectation applies to a trick of speech or behavior that strikes the observer as insincere.

the posh accent is an affectation

When could air be used to replace pose?

The words air and pose can be used in similar contexts, but air may suggest natural acquirement through environment or way of life.

a traveler's sophisticated air

In what contexts can airs take the place of pose?

In some situations, the words airs and pose are roughly equivalent. However, airs always implies artificiality and pretentiousness.

snobbish airs

Where would mannerism be a reasonable alternative to pose?

While in some cases nearly identical to pose, mannerism applies to an acquired eccentricity that has become a habit.

gesturing with a cigarette was her most noticeable mannerism

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 pose
Verb
The topics posed by the debate moderators touched on only a couple of those issues, and then too briefly to be significant. Dan Walters, Oc Register, 23 Apr. 2026 Since then, officials have also warned that even unsophisticated drones can pose serious risks. Nicole Sganga, CBS News, 23 Apr. 2026
Noun
The seven revolute joints make the arm kinematically redundant, meaning there are multiple ways to position the arm to achieve the same end-effector pose. New Atlas, 13 Apr. 2026 This catabolism works directly against muscle improvement goals, compromising both the strength needed for challenging poses and the flexibility that comes from healthy, elastic muscle fibers. William Jones, Ascend Agency, 13 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for pose
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pose
Noun
  • The roughly thirty-pound latex belly that Harbour wore to give Floyd extra heft is on full display in the show’s final episode, when Floyd and Clark strip down to their boxer briefs and dance by the pool lockers in a kind of tête-à-tête disco.
    Alexandra Schwartz, New Yorker, 24 Apr. 2026
  • The many attending assistants around her eventually disperse — a little hesitantly because Sam is in the middle of preparing a new show — and the two withdraw to Sam’s cavernous studio.
    Jake Coyle, Boston Herald, 24 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Scandals and secrets will be revealed, facades will crumble, and families and friendships will change forever on both sides of the battlefield as this group of strong, game-changing influencers comes together to build their answer to #MomTok.
    Michael Schneider, Variety, 23 Apr. 2026
  • The family room offers three walls of windows, a fireplace with an authentic late-1800s cast-iron facade, granite mantel and a polished nickel and crystal drum chandelier.
    Saleema Syed, Chicago Tribune, 21 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • During the partisan press era in the United States, news organizations aligned themselves politically and presented news from a specific partisan point of view, without the guise of objectivity.
    Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 23 Apr. 2026
  • Then, in the late nineteenth century, the mandolin experienced a second flowering, albeit in a different guise.
    Tim Parks, New Yorker, 11 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • The 2025 Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery Act, or HEAR Act, expands on a 2016 law, signed by President Barack Obama, that permits victims and descendants of victims of the Holocaust to lay legal claim to works of art looted by the Nazis or sold to the Nazis under false pretenses.
    Jackie Hajdenberg, Sun Sentinel, 20 Apr. 2026
  • People finally get to see me, and there's no pretense about that.
    Cara Lynn Shultz, PEOPLE, 18 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • The jury also found that Esperanza-Pacheco committed a forcible lewd act upon a child during the commission of a first-degree residential burglary, prosecutors said.
    Jason Green, Mercury News, 25 Apr. 2026
  • This act of contrition is legible in East Asia, but slightly awkward when performed by Western actors.
    Chang Che, New Yorker, 25 Apr. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Pose.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pose. Accessed 25 Apr. 2026.

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