1
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
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
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Recent Examples of pretended
Sam Sacks, WSJ, 11 Nov. 2022
The woman is long gone, so Freer has to imagine her consent — in a history so full of gaps, coercion, and disappearance, a pretended connection is better than none at all.
—Helen Shaw, Vulture, 28 Mar. 2022
No, seriously: People were very upset by these shoes, or at least pretended to be.
—Heather Wilhelm, National Review, 31 Aug. 2017
Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 10 Mar. 2026
Federal agents pretended to be NYPD plainclothes officers looking for a missing child to kidnap a Columbia University student in university housing.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 4 Mar. 2026
Investigators say at least 21 boys were catfished and sextorted after Zachariah Meyers, an 18-year-old Peters Township High School senior, pretended to be an adult film star from the Netherlands, with at least 14 teenagers sending pornographic pictures of themselves.
—Chilekasi Adele, CBS News, 24 Feb. 2026
Then, an experimenter presented the bonobo with two empty, transparent cups and pretended to pour juice from an empty pitcher into each cup.
—Amarachi Orie, CNN Money, 9 Feb. 2026
Korea’s Kim Seon-yeong and Sweden’s Isabella Wranå pretended their brooms were air guitars.
—Zack Pierce, New York Times, 4 Feb. 2026
Best of all, Andrew Guest and Daniel Destin Cretton’s limited series is dependent on and a showcase for its two leads in ways previous Marvel projects only pretended to be.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 27 Jan. 2026
That's something even Tesla has only pretended to do.
—Brad Templeton, Forbes.com, 20 Jan. 2026
Moton, covered in Liuzzo’s blood, pretended to be dead, then set off to find help after the men departed.
—Jelani Cobb, New Yorker, 19 Jan. 2026
Adjective
What most activates Dunn’s rage is the misogyny that only deepened amid all the pretended freedoms of the counterculture.
—Sam Sacks, WSJ, 11 Nov. 2022
The woman is long gone, so Freer has to imagine her consent — in a history so full of gaps, coercion, and disappearance, a pretended connection is better than none at all.
—Helen Shaw, Vulture, 28 Mar. 2022
No, seriously: People were very upset by these shoes, or at least pretended to be.
—Heather Wilhelm, National Review, 31 Aug. 2017
Verb
The fake store contained an app that pretended to come from Brazil’s social security system, which Kaspersky analyzed and found to be malicious.
—Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 10 Mar. 2026
Federal agents pretended to be NYPD plainclothes officers looking for a missing child to kidnap a Columbia University student in university housing.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 4 Mar. 2026
Investigators say at least 21 boys were catfished and sextorted after Zachariah Meyers, an 18-year-old Peters Township High School senior, pretended to be an adult film star from the Netherlands, with at least 14 teenagers sending pornographic pictures of themselves.
—Chilekasi Adele, CBS News, 24 Feb. 2026
Then, an experimenter presented the bonobo with two empty, transparent cups and pretended to pour juice from an empty pitcher into each cup.
—Amarachi Orie, CNN Money, 9 Feb. 2026
Korea’s Kim Seon-yeong and Sweden’s Isabella Wranå pretended their brooms were air guitars.
—Zack Pierce, New York Times, 4 Feb. 2026
Best of all, Andrew Guest and Daniel Destin Cretton’s limited series is dependent on and a showcase for its two leads in ways previous Marvel projects only pretended to be.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 27 Jan. 2026
That's something even Tesla has only pretended to do.
—Brad Templeton, Forbes.com, 20 Jan. 2026
Moton, covered in Liuzzo’s blood, pretended to be dead, then set off to find help after the men departed.
—Jelani Cobb, New Yorker, 19 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pretended
Adjective
-
The video was a standout moment alongside the romantic ballad, though, as Bruno picked up the guitar and delivered on the Latin love story with a mock wedding — and pulled on the heartstrings with a relationship that just about everyone would sign up to grow old for.—
Eric Renner Brown,
Billboard,
10 Mar. 2026
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The Wildcats feature potential first-round picks in freshmen Brayden Burries and Koa Peat, with Motiejus Krivas mentioned in some mock drafts.—
Blair Kerkhoff,
Kansas City Star,
10 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Police listed multiple flags to watch out for, including Irish and British accents, saying many of the members are part of international rings of foreign nationals using fake business names.—
Tim Fang,
CBS News,
6 Mar. 2026
-
However, the best part of this entire charade was not Devens hiding a fake idol at Tribal Council.—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Residents may require medication management and may have previously posed a potential risk to harm themselves or others, but any aggressive behavior must have occurred no less than six months prior to being admitted.—
Gabriela Vidal,
CBS News,
7 Mar. 2026
-
The model also recently posed for V Magazine wearing a long leather cape and knee-high boots—and not much else.—
Meg Walters,
InStyle,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Davidson, who assumed her former role at the Kennedy Center in April 2023, intended to stay in the nation’s capital until the orchestra celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2031.—
David Zimmermann,
The Washington Examiner,
7 Mar. 2026
-
Many actors have assumed the titular role over the years, with recent iterations including David Tennant, Jodie Whittaker, and Peter Capaldi.—
Declan Gallagher,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
With Powell missing his third straight game because of a strained right groin, the Heat went with the starting lineup of Davion Mitchell, Herro, Pelle Larsson, Andrew Wiggins and Adebayo for the third consecutive game.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
6 Mar. 2026
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The White House pledge for tech companies responds to fears of what data center buildouts mean for everyday Americans’ strained wallets.—
Eric Schmidt,
Fortune,
6 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The exterior is made of microfiber that’s been double-brushed for silky softness.—
Miles Walls,
Better Homes & Gardens,
8 Mar. 2026
-
Evan Wanner walked off the Class AA state championship in double overtime with a swift wrister past Jerdee, returning Moorhead to the summit of Minnesota high school hockey.—
Andrew Cornelius,
Twin Cities,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
But the speed and the solidarity with which states came forward suggest the states don’t feel like the DOJ acted competently.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Mar. 2026
-
The company acted with urgency to expand beyond beer into the fast-growing categories of non-alcoholic beer and ready-to-drink choices.—
Jordan Valinsky,
CNN Money,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
These additional effects are entirely simulated.—
Billie Bugara,
Pitchfork,
7 Mar. 2026
-
By comparing electromagnetic field readings from the test track and the benchtop device, the researchers confirmed that their device accurately simulated the test conditions.—
Ameya Paleja,
Interesting Engineering,
2 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pretended.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pretended. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
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