variants
or pretence
1
as in affectation
the quality or state of appearing or trying to appear more important or more valuable than is the case
she seemed to be a very down-to-earth woman who was completely free of pretense
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in facade
a display of emotion or behavior that is insincere or intended to deceive
her display of bravado was just a pretense
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in right
an entitlement to something
this book on gardening makes no pretense at completeness
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in arrogance
an exaggerated sense of one's importance that shows itself in the making of excessive or unjustified claims
the pretense of that woman in thinking that the other hotel guests should be inconvenienced just for her
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pretense
Wang faces four counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, one count of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon causing serious injury, one count of kidnapping, and two counts of larceny over $1,200 by false pretense.
—
Michelle Lee, PEOPLE, 4 Feb. 2026
She has been charged with four counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, one count of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon causing serious injury, one count of kidnapping and two counts of larceny over $1,200 by false pretense.
—Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 4 Feb. 2026
For two hours, everyone agreed to the spectacle, and in that pretense, honesty found a surprising foothold.
—Jerry Brewer, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
There is no longer even pretense of remorse or accountability.
—Binaifer Nowrojee, Time, 30 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pretense
Michelle Lee, PEOPLE, 4 Feb. 2026
She has been charged with four counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, one count of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon causing serious injury, one count of kidnapping and two counts of larceny over $1,200 by false pretense.
—Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 4 Feb. 2026
For two hours, everyone agreed to the spectacle, and in that pretense, honesty found a surprising foothold.
—Jerry Brewer, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
There is no longer even pretense of remorse or accountability.
—Binaifer Nowrojee, Time, 30 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pretense
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pretense
Noun
-
For the most part though, For the First Time, Again is weighed down by oversinging and emotional affectation.—
Millan Verma,
Pitchfork,
30 Jan. 2026
-
The self-conscious aspiration to hipness here is unfortunate and decidedly not cool, but some may find such affectations quaint.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
That starts at the facade, where stone and hardwood features pop against coral bark Japanese maple trees.—
Demetrius Simms,
Robb Report,
25 Feb. 2026
-
As for the space itself, the team chose to preserve the building and expand it by 1,500 square feet while keeping its facade intact.—
Sara Rosenthal,
Denver Post,
25 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The number of serious settler attacks including shootings, arson and other violent crimes has increased sharply each year since far-right politician Itamar Ben-Gvir, who spent his law career defending Jews who attacked Palestinians, became national security minister.—
AREF TUFAHA,
Arkansas Online,
24 Feb. 2026
-
Centrist leaders in the United Kingdom, France and Germany resist spending a larger percentage of their strained budgets defending against a Russian threat that their far-right populist opponents might think can be easily negotiated away.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN Money,
24 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Bridgeman doesn’t speak with arrogance but with a calm, aw-shucks confidence.—
Brody Miller,
New York Times,
23 Feb. 2026
-
Chances are, whether that’s empowerment or arrogance depends on your take on Gu’s national representation.—
Sean Gregory,
Time,
22 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The exquisite film, Derek vs Derek, raises pressing environmental issues, while conducting an exquisite study of idiosyncrasies at the same time, free of any pretension, though full of humor and substance.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
25 Feb. 2026
-
With his dweeby air, pretensions and position at the helm of an active production, Arthur is the Liz Lemon of this setup, but with the emphases reversed.—
Alison Herman,
Variety,
23 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The government insisted his case had nothing to do with press freedom, saying the defendants used journalism as a guise to commit acts that harmed Hong Kong and China.—
Kanis Leung,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Both marques returned to the competition this year in new guises.—
Viju Mathew,
Robb Report,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Spain on Wednesday publicly staked its claim to the powerful post, with its former central bank chief seen as a top contender.—
semafor.com,
semafor.com,
23 Feb. 2026
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With an independent test data set for release, the coming weeks may determine whether Donut Lab’s claims mark a genuine breakthrough or another chapter in the long and difficult quest to commercialize solid-state batteries.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
23 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Those who suffer shame as children often cover it up with a false superiority.—
Gail Sheehy,
Vanity Fair,
20 Feb. 2026
-
The physical superiority of lions over humans has been demonstrated throughout human history—the Romans even exploited it for entertainment.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pretense.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pretense. Accessed 28 Feb. 2026.
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