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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in airs
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 claim
an entitlement to something
this book on gardening makes no pretense at completeness
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 pretense
Unfortunately, the modernizing premise – aside from the de rigueur costumes and odd laptop, more pretense than premise – seriously impacts the emotional punch of the ending.
—
Greg Evans, Deadline, 23 Mar. 2025
No pretense, just genuine passion for scent and storytelling.
—Kimberly Wilson, Essence, 14 Mar. 2025
No pretense, just genuine passion for scent and storytelling.
—Kimberly Wilson, Essence, 14 Mar. 2025
For more about how to instruct generative AI on doing pretenses, also known as personas, see my discussion at the link here.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes, 14 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pretense
Greg Evans, Deadline, 23 Mar. 2025
No pretense, just genuine passion for scent and storytelling.
—Kimberly Wilson, Essence, 14 Mar. 2025
No pretense, just genuine passion for scent and storytelling.
—Kimberly Wilson, Essence, 14 Mar. 2025
For more about how to instruct generative AI on doing pretenses, also known as personas, see my discussion at the link here.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes, 14 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pretense
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pretense
Noun
-
Ivy-as-Marilyn is an inconsiderate, amphetamine guzzling faux-intellectual whose devotion to the acting craft is presented as a vainglorious affectation.—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
10 Apr. 2025
-
The interaction between Briony and Jamie starts off amiably, with Jamie needling Briony for her posh affectations.—
Doreen St. Félix,
The New Yorker,
22 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Martin says that makes Molly and Tom's claim of self-defense a tough sell.—
Maureen Maher,
CBS News,
24 Apr. 2025
-
The proposal also appears to call for the United States to recognize Russia's claim on Crimea, a region of Ukraine that Russia annexed in 2014.—
Kim Hjelmgaard,
USA Today,
24 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Solskjaer felt that overconfidence bordering on arrogance might be PSG’s Achilles’ heel.—
Andy Mitten,
New York Times,
20 Apr. 2025
-
Titan: Plunges into the chilling 2023 submersible tragedy, peeling back the layers of ambition, arrogance, and a lack of oversight that led to catastrophe.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
16 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Their pretensions are witheringly lampooned in this comic thriller about Ronnie, a Pakistani American who tags along to the desert enclave with her friend turned life coach, Marley.—
Calum Marsh,
New York Times,
7 Apr. 2025
-
By contrast, Vito—Genovese, that is, not Corleone—pushes drugs aggressively, resorts to violence early and often, and scoffs at any pretensions of legitimacy, especially given the legalized thuggery of the politicians with whom Frank has curried favor.—
Justin Chang,
The New Yorker,
21 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
From there, becoming a club regular is golden, and gigs as an opener or a feature act can solidify a career.—
R. Daniel Foster,
Forbes.com,
28 Apr. 2025
-
What should have been a pure celebration of Sanders’ hard work and achievement was instead partially overshadowed by an act of disrespect that he was then expected to graciously forgive.—
Kimberly Wilson,
Essence,
28 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
With the Soviet Union’s collapse, the United States enjoyed a margin of superiority that would have been unimaginable to earlier great powers.—
A. Wess Mitchell,
Foreign Affairs,
22 Apr. 2025
-
Will this Lucid’s obvious superiority from a rational perspective be able to offset the minivan-esque styling?—
Michael Teo Van Runkle,
Forbes.com,
15 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Interest in the case has swept the country since then, spurring an array of true crime podcasts, movies, television shows and a host of supporters for both Read and O’Keefe.—
Michael Loria,
USA Today,
27 Apr. 2025
-
The Guardian newspaper reports that the former Doctor Who star – who appeared in the 2005 film adaptation of Rowling’s book Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire – gave his opinion of Rowling in answer to questions posed by a group of neurodivergent young adults in ITV’s show The Assembly.—
Caroline Frost,
Deadline,
27 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
This method forces teams to rethink their assumptions and explore unconventional angles.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
28 Apr. 2025
-
The three-time Pro Bowler’s placement on this list is operating under the assumption that Andrews is content remaining with the Ravens and hasn’t become disenchanted with all of the trade speculation and criticism he’s gotten for how Baltimore’s 2024 season ended.—
Jeff Zrebiec,
New York Times,
28 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pretense.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pretense. Accessed 6 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share