PRETENCES Synonyms: 62 Similar and Opposite Words

pretenses

noun

variants or pretences

plural of pretense

as in facades

a display of emotion or behavior that is insincere or intended to deceive her display of bravado was just a pretense

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in rights

an entitlement to something this book on gardening makes no pretense at completeness

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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 pretenses Trimpey also faces a felony charge of obtaining money by false pretenses. — Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 2 July 2026 At school, Jin’s oldest daughter, Jane, teams up with a Black classmate, one of few, to expose their neighbors’ prejudices and pretenses. — The New Yorker, New Yorker, 29 June 2026 Fernando Navarro, 53, of Minneapolis, is facing four counts of felony fraud for collecting nearly $70,000 in funds from Minnesota's medical assistance program under false pretenses. — Riley Moser, CBS News, 23 June 2026 However, according to Ryan, Hernandez was a fraud, allegedly seeking money under false pretenses. — Allison Degrushe, StyleCaster, 18 June 2026 For all the Court’s pretenses—all of its insistence on the rule of law, precedent, and good faith—many critics and supporters of the Roberts Court see the institution as an appendage of the Republican Party. — Adam Serwer, The Atlantic, 5 June 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 Marks was also charged with obtaining property under false pretenses and misdemeanor larceny. — Charlotte Observer, 6 May 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for pretenses

Noun

With rusted machinery and derelict buildings, the quiet silhouette of Kennecott's faded crimson facades are all that remains of this town weathered by harsh Alaskan winters.

— Kieron Marchese, Architectural Digest, 27 July 2026
Behind the polished facades, roughly nine out of ten were privately exhausted, unwell, or both, and had normalized that reality as an occupational hazard.

— Nell Derick Debevoise Dewey, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026

Definition of facades

Noun

Issues to address include healthcare, education, mental health, community well-being, fair taxes, voters’ rights, fair representation and government accountability.

— Sophie Lindberg July 27, Kansas City Star, 27 July 2026
In 2017, Liberty Media was in its first year of owning F1’s commercial rights and only just beginning to put its mark on the sport.

— Luke Smith, New York Times, 26 July 2026

Definition of rights

Noun

Earlier in July, a senior security source in Tehran told CNN that the claims of nuclear activities taking place at Pickaxe Mountain were false.

— Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 22 July 2026
Finley’s claims about TikTok and the latter as the barrier to so much better in the United States recall Barack Obama, though with one difference.

— John Tamny, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026

Definition of claims

Noun

At 61, unaligned to any party faction and with no pretensions to the highest office, the Scot would represent little threat to Burnham.

— Ian King, CNBC, 15 July 2026
The British journalist Malcolm Muggeridge, who converted to Christianity late in his life, pointed out that Jesus’s entire ministry was directed against the pretensions of earthly power.

— Peter Wehner, The Atlantic, 10 June 2026

Definition of pretensions

Noun

Alice is not a person who puts on airs to please others; quite the opposite.

— Erin Qualey, Vulture, 27 July 2026
How to watch Shark Week 2026 Shark Week 2026 airs on the Discovery Channel while streaming on Max and Discovery+ from Sunday, July 26, through Saturday, August 1.

— Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 26 July 2026

Definition of airs

Noun

And there are some domains where the use of AI poses just an unacceptable risk and it can't be used at all.

— Dana Taylor, USA Today, 27 July 2026
This substantial hike poses challenges for operators like Baker Aviation, facing a $420,000 monthly increase, and individual owners.

— Doug Gollan, Forbes.com, 26 July 2026

Definition of poses

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“Pretenses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pretenses. Accessed 30 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of pretenses

noun

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