PRETENDED Synonyms: 170 Similar and Opposite Words

pretended 1 of 2

adjective

pri-ˈten-dəd

Definition of pretended

as in mock

lacking in natural or spontaneous quality he shows a pretended affection for his girlfriend's cat

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

pretended

2 of 2

verb

past tense of pretend

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

as in assumed

to present a false appearance of as if I would ever pretend illness just to take off a day from work

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

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 Russian forces were in the area; some even pretended to be news crews. — David Folkenflik, NPR, 4 Oct. 2026 Also this year, Cohen’s press officer secretly was recorded by a woman who pretended to be on a date with him. — Dakota Smith, Los Angeles Times, 1 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 The pope, formerly Robert Prevost, grew up in a deeply Catholic family in Chicago where the three sons all served as altar boys in church, their parents led nightly recitations of the Rosary and young Robert pretended to be a priest. — Nicole Winfield, Chicago Tribune, 23 Sep. 2026 The story goes that the couple had gone home from his show, and the husband pretended to be the Lovemaster. — Don Riddell, CNN Money, 20 Sep. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for pretended

Adjective

Carson and Guillermo stepped onto the dance floor with sunglasses and A-list celebrity swagger as flashes from mock photographers filled the introduction.

— Michael Saponara, Billboard, 7 Oct. 2026
In another thread, Strong’s Zuckerberg twitches with irritation through mock congressional hearings, with a PR team headed by crisis management specialist Raya (Wunmi Mosaku), whose task is to make the Facebook CEO likable.

— David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of mock

Adjective

When Lee gets to the visitation window, there’s a fake Mekko sitting across from him.

— Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 15 Oct. 2026
The fake image was attention-grabbing, shady, and timely — in other words, perfect for social media virality but a potential liability for the parties involved.

— Mia Sato, The Verge, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of fake

Verb

Love posed online as a player for the NFL’s San Francisco 49ers, posting videos of himself running drills with a 49ers helmet, driving in expensive sports cars, and living a lavish lifestyle on social media.

— CT Jones, Rolling Stone, 14 Oct. 2026
Elevated inflation has posed political problems for Republicans in Congress and is a challenge for the Federal Reserve, which is required by Congress to seek stable prices.

— Christopher Rugaber, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of posed

Verb

Bloomsbury Publishing, which assumed control of the book after merging with Bourne’s previous publisher, returned the rights to the author.

— Zac Ntim, Deadline, 13 Oct. 2026
Industry Has Already Faced This Problem Industrial automation has never assumed that instruments, controllers or operators will always behave correctly.

— Gregory Shahnovsky, Forbes.com, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of assumed

Adjective

Raman’s tendency to rethink her policy decisions has also contributed to her strained relations with her council colleagues, nearly all of whom are backing the mayor’s reelection bid.

— David Zahniser, Los Angeles Times, 12 Oct. 2026
French bond woes Yields on French government bonds have surged to multiyear highs in recent days, as the country's mounting debt crisis fuels wider concerns about Europe's strained public finances.

— Hugh Leask, CNBC, 11 Oct. 2026

Definition of strained

Adjective

Travel and tech accessories include a multi zip case, passport sleeve, double zip wash bag, small laptop case, large flat card holder, key ring with leather strap, and sunglasses case.

— Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 14 Oct. 2026
Sal Frelick robbed Freddie Freeman of a double with a nice running catch in the right center field gap, but an error on a pickoff attempt at first base brought Edman in to score.

— Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of double

Verb

For Rush, a republic that put citizens to death still acted like a monarchy, treating citizens’ lives as its own to dispose of.

— Maurizio Valsania, The Conversation, 14 Oct. 2026
The Justice Department invoked national security only in court filings days after the White House acted against the reporters.

— David Folkenflik, NPR, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of acted

Verb

Adapting to changing enemy signals During the demonstration, the Army simulated a battlefield scenario in which hostile forces communicated while preparing an attack.

— Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 10 Oct. 2026
When watching the film, the festival sets captured live blend seamlessly with the shots of the crowd, which were captured both live and simulated later in Atlanta.

— Miki Hellerbach, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of simulated

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pretend

pretended

pretender

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“Pretended.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pretended. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of pretended

adjective

verb

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