1
as in rights
an entitlement to something
a pretension of long standing to the throne of Hungary
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in goals
something that one hopes or intends to accomplish
has serious pretensions of becoming a writer
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pretensions
Ron Rosenbaum on the Icon and the Enigma To be caught in the spotlight of our pretensions is the worst kind of embarrassment there is.
—
Literary Hub, 28 Oct. 2025
Few things jar the delicate pretensions of the cocktail sophisticate so much as a drink with a chicken on top.
—The New York Times News Service Syndicate, Denver Post, 28 Oct. 2025
But she is best remembered for Keeping Up Appearances and her role as Hyacinth Bucket, a working-class woman with pretensions of social superiority.
—Ryan Schwartz, TVLine, 3 Oct. 2025
Such pretensions on the part of the mega-rich aren’t new; Lowell reminds us of that.
—Jon Allsop, New Yorker, 29 Aug. 2025
Literary Hub, 28 Oct. 2025
Few things jar the delicate pretensions of the cocktail sophisticate so much as a drink with a chicken on top.
—The New York Times News Service Syndicate, Denver Post, 28 Oct. 2025
But she is best remembered for Keeping Up Appearances and her role as Hyacinth Bucket, a working-class woman with pretensions of social superiority.
—Ryan Schwartz, TVLine, 3 Oct. 2025
Such pretensions on the part of the mega-rich aren’t new; Lowell reminds us of that.
—Jon Allsop, New Yorker, 29 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pretensions
Noun
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Human rights organizations have renewed their criticism, airing concerns about the persecution of dissent in a country where more than 800 people are behind bars for political reasons, according to the legal rights organization Foro Penal.—
Stefano Pozzebon,
CNN Money,
5 Nov. 2025
-
Earle-Sears also attacked Spanberger over her support for transgender rights.—
Andrew Stanton,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
The observatory is conducting a ten-year-long survey of the southern sky, dubbed the Legacy Survey of Space and Time, which has as one of its principal goals improving our understanding of the nature of both dark energy and dark matter.—
Ian Randall,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
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Coming into his 21st season in the league, Ovechkin needed three goals to become the inaugural member of the 900 club.—
Jacob Lev,
CNN Money,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Despite his claims of innocence, her husband, Scott Peterson, was convicted of her murder in 2004.—
James Mercadante,
PEOPLE,
25 Oct. 2025
-
And the advent of consumer DNA products has led to numerous claims of fertility fraud over the years.—
Chelsea Bailey,
CNN Money,
25 Oct. 2025
Noun
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These innovations can be used for a variety of purposes, including assisting humans with tasks, conducting research, or performing dangerous or tedious jobs.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
5 Nov. 2025
-
The current policy, last revised in 2010, allows students to possess electronic devices during the school day but prohibits their use unless approved for educational purposes.—
Kayla Huynh,
jsonline.com,
5 Nov. 2025
Noun
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The Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime said in a May report that women from more than 20 African countries had been recruited under false pretences to make drones for Russia’s war.—
Reuters 16 hr ago,
CNN Money,
6 Nov. 2025
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The audience meets Charles, who is completing yet another stint in jail, this time for false pretenses and evading arrest.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
That revelation prodded insurgents in British possessions from Ireland to Sierra Leone to take to the streets to assert their own ambitions for economic and political autonomy over the decades to come.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Nov. 2025
-
His remarks come as China sends new signals on its crypto ambitions.—
Yeo Boon Ping,
CNBC,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Many clubs across the English football pyramid, such as Manchester City and Leeds United, have posted on their websites about their Remembrance Day plans for this weekend.—
Eduardo Tansley,
New York Times,
8 Nov. 2025
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While it's left some passengers making backup plans and reserving rental cars, the flights canceled Friday represented just a small portion of overall flights nationwide.—
JOSH FUNK,
Arkansas Online,
8 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Trump’s aims, in other words, were commercial and appeared to forsake many of his first administration’s highest priorities.—
Mira Rapp-Hooper,
Foreign Affairs,
29 Oct. 2025
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Ambitious policies, even those whose aims aren’t fully met, have real value; despite the relatively low uptake, New Mexico’s current plan has been a boon to many families.—
Elliot Haspel,
The Atlantic,
28 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pretensions.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pretensions. Accessed 9 Nov. 2025.
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