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
His pretensions—riding around in a grand coach and continuing the weekly levees—as well as his administration’s notorious effort to enforce deference in the 1798 Sedition Act, fell flat.
—
Jake Lundberg, The Atlantic, 7 Jan. 2026
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
Jake Lundberg, The Atlantic, 7 Jan. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pretensions
Noun
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But the jury in the federal civil lawsuit found that Moore violated Gillispie's rights by hiding evidence that would have helped Gillispie's defense and creating unfair lineup procedures for the victims.—
Laura A. Bischoff,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
7 Jan. 2026
-
For nearly a year, migrant rights advocates and neighborhood activists across the Twin Cities have been preparing to mobilize in the event of an immigration enforcement surge.—
Tim Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Brett Hull, a dual citizen who was born in Canada and played internationally for the United States, had 741 goals.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
9 Jan. 2026
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Bringing Arcadia and Big Red food to customers year-round at festivals, corporate events, weddings, private parties and community events is another of Nguyen’s goals.—
Susan Stapleton,
Des Moines Register,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
That statement alone refutes claims that IHRA is meant to silence debate.—
David Moore,
New York Daily News,
11 Jan. 2026
-
All prize claims must be submitted within 180 days of the drawing date for draw games.—
Chris Sims,
IndyStar,
11 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The information provided in this article is for general informational and educational purposes only.—
Ethan M. Stone,
Miami Herald,
9 Jan. 2026
-
Marvel has publicly acknowledged that the studio's productions often scan actors' bodies, though the scans are generally only used for visual effects purposes rather than storing actors' likenesses for future projects.—
Wesley Stenzel,
Entertainment Weekly,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Kingstringer and Ledesma were booked into the Contra Costa County Jail on suspicion of grand theft of an animal, theft by false pretenses and conspiracy.—
Tim Fang,
CBS News,
31 Dec. 2025
-
They were booked into Contra Costa County jail on charges of grand theft of an animal, theft by false pretenses and conspiracy.—
Jason Green,
Mercury News,
31 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Scaling robots alongside cars The automaker is backing its humanoid ambitions with major investment.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Jan. 2026
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To the contrary, though the film is frequently funny, Brewer takes their ambitions and reversals seriously.—
Peter Tonguette,
The Washington Examiner,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Secure loose outdoor items and adjust plans as necessary so you're not caught outside.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
11 Jan. 2026
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CrowdStrike fell more than 3% Thursday after management announced plans to buy identity management startup SGNL in a $740 million deal.—
Morgan Chittum,
CNBC,
10 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Trump proclaimed not only US imperial powers but also his imperialist aims.—
Peter Kornbluh,
Washington Post,
5 Jan. 2026
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The purpose of this column is to assess which of this year’s Awards Gala honorees most achieved those aims.—
Scott Feinberg,
HollywoodReporter,
4 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pretensions.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pretensions. Accessed 14 Jan. 2026.
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