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
Tyler Palmateer, Nashville Tennessean, 2 Oct. 2025
True desires were revealed during the blackout, as Chuck pretended to be Blair's British boyfriend, Marcus.
—Emily Exton, Entertainment Weekly, 19 Sep. 2025
Hortman, her husband, Mark, and their dog were killed at their house on June 14 by a gunman who pretended to be law enforcement, according to authorities.
—Kimberlee Speakman, PEOPLE, 16 Sep. 2025
There was that episode of The Nanny where Fran pretended to be Bobbi Flekman.
—Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 10 Sep. 2025
California Schemin’ is based on the true story of two Scottish friends, Gavin Bain and Billy Boyd, who pretended to be a California rap duo, Silibil N’ Brains, to realize their dream of hip-hop stardom.
—Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 5 Sep. 2025
No one pretended when Johnny Carson or others retired that the new group would replace them.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 2 Sep. 2025
Instead of confirming or denying, the Colorado Buffaloes head coach flashed a wide smile and pretended the connection on their call was too poor to proceed.
—Angel Saunders, People.com, 29 Aug. 2025
The indictment states Peters and Knisley pretended to hire an IT consultant, used his name and Social Security number to pass a background check and acquire a security clearance and access badge.
—Kathryn Palmer, USA Today, 22 Aug. 2025
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
In Week 6 of the TSSAA football season, Brentwood Academy junior edge-rusher Kenneth Simon II registered a sack against Ensworth and formed his hands into a circle, then pretended to roll a pair of dice.
—Tyler Palmateer, Nashville Tennessean, 2 Oct. 2025
True desires were revealed during the blackout, as Chuck pretended to be Blair's British boyfriend, Marcus.
—Emily Exton, Entertainment Weekly, 19 Sep. 2025
Hortman, her husband, Mark, and their dog were killed at their house on June 14 by a gunman who pretended to be law enforcement, according to authorities.
—Kimberlee Speakman, PEOPLE, 16 Sep. 2025
There was that episode of The Nanny where Fran pretended to be Bobbi Flekman.
—Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 10 Sep. 2025
California Schemin’ is based on the true story of two Scottish friends, Gavin Bain and Billy Boyd, who pretended to be a California rap duo, Silibil N’ Brains, to realize their dream of hip-hop stardom.
—Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 5 Sep. 2025
No one pretended when Johnny Carson or others retired that the new group would replace them.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 2 Sep. 2025
Instead of confirming or denying, the Colorado Buffaloes head coach flashed a wide smile and pretended the connection on their call was too poor to proceed.
—Angel Saunders, People.com, 29 Aug. 2025
The indictment states Peters and Knisley pretended to hire an IT consultant, used his name and Social Security number to pass a background check and acquire a security clearance and access badge.
—Kathryn Palmer, USA Today, 22 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pretended
Adjective
-
Flight 11 will target those same two splashdown zones, and Ship will aim to deploy another eight mock Starlinks, SpaceX wrote in Monday's update.—
Mike Wall,
Space.com,
30 Sep. 2025
-
Recently, Taylor invited her daughter’s class to Euronews Albania for a behind-the-scenes look at how television is made, where the children took part in mock interviews and explored the studio with wide-eyed excitement.—
Tereza Shkurtaj,
PEOPLE,
28 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Sandu’s reelection came amidst an election that was laced with allegations of Russian interference and was marred by fake bomb threats.—
Rajeev Tyagi,
ABC News,
29 Sep. 2025
-
Jessica Guistolise, Megan Hurley and Molly Kelley talk with CNBC in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on July 11, 2025, about fake pornographic images and videos depicting their faces made by their mutual friend Ben using AI site DeepSwap.—
Jonathan Vanian,
CNBC,
28 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The information posed a threat to the Bukele government.—
T. Christian Miller,
ProPublica,
30 Sep. 2025
-
But the Yates family’s lawsuit argues that both deputies and psychiatric staff knew Ruis posed a threat.—
Kelly Davis,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
29 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The relative then spied a dead dog on an interstate nearby, and assumed the canine was Randy since both dogs had the same shading.—
TJ Macias,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
3 Oct. 2025
-
Scientists have long assumed that dark energy is a constant, unchanging entity.—
Chris Young,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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From frequent relocations to a carousel of careers (culminating in a stint in Hot Springs), his choices left indelible marks on those closest to him, including strained relationships and tangled finances.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
28 Sep. 2025
-
In other instances, the lyrics feel a bit strained.—
Juan J. Arroyo,
Rolling Stone,
26 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
For some Obamacare beneficiaries, premiums are expected to more than double, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation (aka KFF), a nonprofit health care research organization.—
Todd Spangler,
Freep.com,
4 Oct. 2025
-
On the morning of June 3, Pandora's mother, Simone Kjolsrud, told The Republic that on May 26, the pair were victims of a double homicide while the teens were on a camping trip.—
Julie Mendes,
AZCentral.com,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Authorities acted upon that removal order on Friday morning.—
Richard Hall,
Time,
27 Sep. 2025
-
The professional chefs then acted as sous chefs while the students provided the recipes and directives, according to the festival’s official website.—
Toria Sheffield,
PEOPLE,
27 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The odds and rankings are based on historical and recent team performances and the competition in its entirety is simulated 10,000 times to produce a final projection for each side.—
The Athletic UK Staff,
New York Times,
2 Oct. 2025
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The scene on a lower floor of an Overland Park office building simulated the investigation of an explosion as part of a two-day training event organized by the FBI’s Kansas City office with an eye toward readiness for the World Cup in 2026.—
Nathan Pilling,
Kansas City Star,
18 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pretended.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pretended. Accessed 5 Oct. 2025.
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