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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of pretenses
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
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
Marks was also charged with obtaining property under false pretenses and misdemeanor larceny.
—
Charlotte Observer,
6 May 2026
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
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
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
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The resulting films were projected on building facades around the community.
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Video on Venezuelan state television showed buildings missing facades, tilted on their foundations.
Noun
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The executive director of Morningside Center for Teaching Social Responsibility, Cassie Schwerner, said her family has followed voting rights through their ups and downs.
-
The march stems from the violent 1969 police raid of the Stonewall Inn that catalyzed the gay rights movement at a time when many people who were LGBTQIA+ hid their identity.
Noun
-
Footballing success, in differing guises, came a long time ago.
-
Opponents of affirmative action, who suspect that the process is still continuing under other guises, could seek to replicate the winning strategy of the Harvard and UNC cases, if testing data show large, unexplainable gaps in academic preparation among different student groups.
Noun
-
Court bars asylum claims before refugees enter US Alito wrote another decision June 25 for a 6-3 majority that allowed the administration to turn back refugees at the border.
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His denials and claims about Carroll were central to her defamation allegations.
Noun
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There are about 340,000 pending cases in California, with highest concentration in Los Angeles county, with 95,000 open cases, TRAC data shows.
-
It's been a 10-year hiatus from television for him and comes amid shifting attitudes toward cable news shows.
Noun
-
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.
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Adley and his team make great tasting plates first and foremost, but some of the items, like the unmissable chicken wings stuffed with boudin blanc and romesco, act as a cheeky affront to haute cuisine’s pretensions and conventions.
Noun
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But on September 16, right after the Reacher finale airs, Amazon will put all eight episodes of Neagley online.
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General Hospital airs weekdays on ABC (check your local listings), with episodes also streaming on Hulu.
Noun
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Roberts greets groups of guests and celebrities with enthusiasm, engages them in conversation and poses for pictures.
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Growing awareness of the dangers social media poses for young, developing brains has shown up in a wave of new restrictions globally.
Cite this Entry
“Pretenses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pretenses. Accessed 3 Jul. 2026.
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