poseur

noun

Definition of poseurnext
as in pretender
disapproving a person who dresses or behaves in a deceptive way that is meant to impress other people

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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 poseur The nature of the American political system propagates scads of lawyers and poseurs who blather on endlessly, promising everything and delivering little. — Laura Washington, Chicago Tribune, 14 Jan. 2026 Nobody made videos in those primitive days, nobody except weird Brit poseurs and art freaks and thirsty postpunk eccentrics, so the network was forced to play them all. — Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 16 Nov. 2025 Godard might have come across as a species of poseur – a pretentious, quote-spouting mountebank – but his way of seeing was genuinely new. — Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor, 13 Nov. 2025 There’s also a conspiracy that catches fire on social media to make Superman look like a poseur. — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 8 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for poseur
Recent Examples of Synonyms for poseur
  1. pretender
  2. charlatan
  3. imitator
  4. impostor
  5. faker
  6. copycat
  7. mountebank
  8. impersonator
Noun
  • The schedule is forgivable, even by ACC standards, but a rematch on the road against Notre Dame will separate the Canes as contenders or pretenders.
    — Austin Perry OutKick, FOXNews.com, 28 July 2026
  • At least one of them will in the coming weeks likely be exposed as a pretender.
    — Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 July 2026
Definition of pretender
Noun
  • In place of San Francisco’s decaying arts bohemia of poseurs and charlatans, they can be said to be creating an alternate bohemia.
    — Michael Bernick, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026
  • Others estimate that $500 billion in federal spending is diverted by charlatans each year.
    — Las Vegas Review-Journal, Twin Cities, 7 June 2026
Definition of charlatan
Noun
  • Boards can adopt it, investors can ask for it, cities can condition incentives on it, and the companies with the best results have the most to gain from standards, because standards are how leaders get distinguished from imitators.
    — Tonya M. Evans, Forbes.com, 26 July 2026
  • That's the real test that will ultimately determine whether the Denza Z is a genuine rival or simply another very fast imitator.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 25 July 2026
Definition of imitator
Noun
  • Then check your insurance account and watch for imposters who know just enough to sound convincing.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 15 July 2026
  • Such impostor scams, when a criminal pretends to be a legitimate business or even a government official, are proliferating and morphing at an accelerated rate as artificial intelligence makes impersonation easier than ever.
    — Bill Lukitsch, Boston Herald, 13 July 2026
Definition of impostor
Noun
  • To tell the truly venomous from the fakers, there are a couple details to help distinguish the two.
    — Kirsten Fiscus, Nashville Tennessean, 17 Sep. 2025
Definition of faker
Noun
  • Many are blatant copycats of existing titles, seemingly intended to trick readers into buying them.
    — Will Oremus, The Atlantic, 27 July 2026
  • Germany’s leaders vow to bolster security at major events amid fears of copycat attacks, even as Amsterdam’s World Pride presses ahead, celebrating freedom and love under tighter watch.
    — Geir Moulson, Los Angeles Times, 26 July 2026
Definition of copycat
Noun
  • Good afternoon and welcome to Con Con, the convention for swindlers, mountebanks, and the people who love them.
    — Henry Alford, New Yorker, 1 Dec. 2025
  • Godard might have come across as a species of poseur – a pretentious, quote-spouting mountebank – but his way of seeing was genuinely new.
    — Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor, 13 Nov. 2025
Definition of mountebank
Noun
  • The ceremony ultimately went ahead with an Elvis impersonator officiating as Kacie wore a white dress and white cowboy hat.
    — Deirdre Durkan, PEOPLE, 4 Aug. 2026
  • These impersonators and scammers tie into a broader issue regarding how AI-generation tools are being used to enable cybercriminals.
    — Alyssa Goldberg, USA Today, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of impersonator

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poses (as)
poseur
poseurs
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Cite this Entry

“Poseur.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/poseur. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

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