pretended 1 of 2

adjective

pri-ˈten-dəd How to pronounce pretended (audio)
Definition of pretendednext
1
as in mock
lacking in natural or spontaneous quality he shows a pretended affection for his girlfriend's cat

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in fake
not being or expressing what one appears to be or express hoped that his pretended interest in classical music would impress the boss

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

pretended

2 of 2

verb

past tense of pretend
1
as in posed
to take on a false or deceptive appearance I pretended that I didn't care that my ex had a new man in her life

Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in assumed
to present a false appearance of as if I would ever pretend illness just to take off a day from work

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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 pretended
Verb
In 17 of those 19 times, the chatbot cited one of the outlets that pretended to be a local news site. — Huo Jingnan, NPR, 30 Oct. 2026 Prosecutors said Navarrete then drove to his parents’ home with his children and pretended to discovered his parents were dead. — Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 19 Oct. 2026 Tremble’s taunt after his second TD was already coming in for teasing by his teammates postgame, as running back Chuba Hubbard (120 rushing yards, one TD) pretended to be a reporter and asked Tremble about it. — Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 18 Oct. 2026 Pressed — surely she’s pretended to be sick to get out of a party? — Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026 The long drives were buoyed by bold play calling, with the Broncos going 4-for-4 on fourth downs, including a trick play in which Madsen pretended to fumble the ball before connecting with sophomore receiver AJ Jones for 7 yards and a first down. — Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 11 Oct. 2026 To get the tortoise’s DNA material, Jonathan’s veterinarian Joe Hollins pretended to feed him, wedged his mouth open with a hard glove and scraped cells from inside his cheek. — Jacek Krywko, Scientific American, 7 Oct. 2026 To offset the von Hatz security leak, another OSS team in Istanbul pretended to organize a fake Sparrow mission. — Literary Hub, 30 Sep. 2026 During his post-sack celebration, the star lineman pretended to unzip his pants and pee on the field. — Bailey Richards, PEOPLE, 26 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pretended
  1. mock
  2. fake
  3. posed
  4. assumed
  5. strained
  6. double
  7. acted
  8. simulated
Adjective
  • In it, Stanford University psychologist Philip Zimbardo had 24 male college students randomly assigned to play guards or inmates in a mock prison to see how power structures could affect the behavior of ordinary people.
    — Frank Landymore, Futurism, 29 Oct. 2026
  • Customs Air and Marine Operations agents also put on a show in Government Cut with a Blackhawk helicopter and two Customs boats chasing down agents in a mock smuggling vessel.
    — David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of mock
Adjective
  • While policymakers debate new privacy laws, doctors such as Julien Cavanagh say they are left to fix the mess that targeted online ads for fake cures create for patients’ health.
    — Washington Post, Washington Post, 28 Oct. 2026
  • Criminals can imitate those messages to create panic and lure people toward fake login pages.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of fake
Verb
  • Allegations of misconduct toppled the Democrat’s campaign, but his replacement, former logger and state senator Troy Jackson, has had a strong showing in the polls, and posed the first actual competition Collins has faced in nearly three decades.
    — Eve Batey, Vanity Fair, 4 Nov. 2026
  • An advisory question posed to Orland Township voters by a local law student caught Helen Flaherty’s attention Tuesday.
    — Elena Tittel, Chicago Tribune, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of posed
Verb
  • The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner assumed custody of the body for further investigation into the cause of death.
    — Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 3 Nov. 2026
  • Castro assumed Clark wanted to speak to him about an incident earlier that day in which Castro was accused of threatening an officer with a knife, according to an arrest warrant.
    — Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of assumed
Adjective
  • That decision left the financially strained athletic department staring at a buyout of roughly $50 million.
    — Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 1 Nov. 2026
  • The relationship between LaLiga and Real Madrid is beyond strained—see Tebas’ Nazi comments as an example—but on this two agreed that everyone involved had to bend the knee.
    — Eben Novy-Williams, Sportico.com, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of strained
Adjective
  • Even the smallest one is delightfully cozy, with a double bed and windows looking onto the street, perfect for a couple or solo traveler.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Nov. 2026
  • Like when Edmonds drew in a double team in the post and found a Robinson for an open 3-pointer that gave TCU a 10-5 lead early in the first.
    — Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of double
Verb
  • The nonprofit Public Citizen noted that Kennedy seems to have acted unilaterally rather than through the typical rulemaking process.
    — Sydney Lupkin, NPR, 28 Oct. 2026
  • James initially acted as his own attorney in challenging his detention as unlawful, calling himself a Jamaica native and claiming citizenship in Lebanon.
    — Ryan J. Foley, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of acted
Verb
  • Herbert also worked on his footwork and simulated throws with a green water ball instead of throwing.
    — Chantz Martin OutKick, FOXNews.com, 29 Oct. 2026
  • The Russian military simulated an attack using the Nivelir system in 2020.
    — Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of simulated

Browse Nearby Words

pretend
pretended
pretender
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Cite this Entry

“Pretended.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pretended. Accessed 4 Nov. 2026.

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