variants
or pretences
1
as in facades
a display of emotion or behavior that is insincere or intended to deceive
her display of bravado was just a pretense
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in rights
an entitlement to something
this book on gardening makes no pretense at completeness
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pretenses
According to the Macomb County Prosecutor's Office, 55-year-old Ziad Khalel, of Clinton Township, was arraigned on Tuesday on one count of false pretenses - $1,000 ore more but less than $20,000 and as a habitual offender - second offense.
—
Dejanay Booth-Singleton, CBS News, 27 May 2026
According to Placer Superior Court filings, one false pretenses count and the personal identifying information charge stemmed from a June 21, 2025, incident.
—Sean Campbell, Sacbee.com, 20 May 2026
Officials allege the group sold the oil under false pretenses and used the profits to sustain and expand the original food fraud scheme.
—Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 19 May 2026
In the documentary, a man running the shelter, who identified himself as Charles Lubajja, tells the undercover reporters that the shelter exists primarily to make money from social media users abroad under false pretenses.
—Christopher Edwards, PEOPLE, 13 May 2026
Maybe Thalia had come to Gilead under false pretenses and gotten caught.
—Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 6 May 2026
Marks was also charged with obtaining property under false pretenses and misdemeanor larceny.
—Charlotte Observer, 6 May 2026
Authorities said the gun had been purchased under false pretenses in Indiana.
—Caroline Kubzansky, Chicago Tribune, 27 Apr. 2026
The 2025 Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery Act, or HEAR Act, expands on a 2016 law, signed by President Barack Obama, that permits victims and descendants of victims of the Holocaust to lay legal claim to works of art looted by the Nazis or sold to the Nazis under false pretenses.
—Jackie Hajdenberg, Sun Sentinel, 20 Apr. 2026
Dejanay Booth-Singleton, CBS News, 27 May 2026
According to Placer Superior Court filings, one false pretenses count and the personal identifying information charge stemmed from a June 21, 2025, incident.
—Sean Campbell, Sacbee.com, 20 May 2026
Officials allege the group sold the oil under false pretenses and used the profits to sustain and expand the original food fraud scheme.
—Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 19 May 2026
In the documentary, a man running the shelter, who identified himself as Charles Lubajja, tells the undercover reporters that the shelter exists primarily to make money from social media users abroad under false pretenses.
—Christopher Edwards, PEOPLE, 13 May 2026
Maybe Thalia had come to Gilead under false pretenses and gotten caught.
—Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 6 May 2026
Marks was also charged with obtaining property under false pretenses and misdemeanor larceny.
—Charlotte Observer, 6 May 2026
Authorities said the gun had been purchased under false pretenses in Indiana.
—Caroline Kubzansky, Chicago Tribune, 27 Apr. 2026
The 2025 Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery Act, or HEAR Act, expands on a 2016 law, signed by President Barack Obama, that permits victims and descendants of victims of the Holocaust to lay legal claim to works of art looted by the Nazis or sold to the Nazis under false pretenses.
—Jackie Hajdenberg, Sun Sentinel, 20 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pretenses
Noun
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Houzz notes that 69 percent of homeowners are opting for different trim and wall colors, indicating a strong preference for varied facades.—
Michele Laufik,
Martha Stewart,
3 June 2026
-
This can include easier jobs, like fresh paint jobs on facades and park clean-ups overnight, or more intense projects like refreshing and reimagining attractions.—
Megan duBois,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
Noun
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And as Secretary of State Jena Griswold and Molly Fitzpatrick, Boulder County clerk and recorder, aptly point out, the courts are well attuned to the need to protect First Amendment rights and were already poised to provide Peters with eventual relief.—
DP Opinion,
Denver Post,
31 May 2026
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The category, which now grabs the biggest audiences and ad dollars, is seeing ever-rising media rights costs.—
Lillian Rizzo,
CNBC,
31 May 2026
Noun
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Dwayne Johnson is a confident guy and has donned any number of ridiculous guises during his Saturday Night Live hosting gigs over the years.—
Jesse Hassenger,
Entertainment Weekly,
28 May 2026
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Berenger, a character who appears in different guises in several of his plays, is Ionesco’s version of Everyman.—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
13 May 2026
Noun
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On Sunday, Pence said the DOJ already has the authority to resolve legitimate claims without maintaining a separate compensation fund.—
Claire Carter,
The Washington Examiner,
31 May 2026
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Some are staking claims even though the government has not established an application process and a judge has frozen the fund’s formation, at least temporarily.—
Michael Kunzelman,
Los Angeles Times,
31 May 2026
Noun
-
Indian benchmark indices, in sharp contrast, are the only ones in the red, falling over 10%, data from LSEG shows.—
Priyanka Salve,
CNBC,
4 June 2026
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With its focus on discovering distinctive talent, MFW includes runway shows, as well as market and showroom, where collections can be directly evaluated by buyers – formats that can support sales activity.—
Malana VanTyler,
Miami Herald,
3 June 2026
Noun
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Perfection is inhuman, and pretensions to it are both doomed and misbegotten.—
Elizabeth Bruenig,
The Atlantic,
27 May 2026
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The digs at the pretensions of artists, channeled through Claire’s decision to make her death a public spectacle in order to secure some future fame, are less amusing here because the blows never seem to quite connect with their targets.—
Leslie Felperin,
HollywoodReporter,
24 May 2026
Noun
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His full interview with Connelly airs Monday on ABC's Good Morning America.—
Raechal Shewfelt,
Entertainment Weekly,
29 May 2026
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Aftersun is a weekly recap talk show that airs as Saturday’s episode of Love Island USA.—
Carolyn Burt,
Oc Register,
29 May 2026
Noun
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Nilsson’s version shares little with its source beyond Adam and Eve themselves, here recast as doughy, beigy silhouettes striking poses amid an almost psychedelic soup of parti-color fronds, blobs, and amoebas.—
Jeremy Lybarger,
Artforum,
2 June 2026
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Giudice struck a few poses at the White Fox show at the Setai hotel in Miami Beach for Miami Swim Week, which wrapped Sunday.—
Madeleine Marr,
Miami Herald,
2 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pretenses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pretenses. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
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