1
as in mock
lacking in natural or spontaneous quality
he shows a pretended affection for his girlfriend's cat
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Noah Camras, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2025
There, the former couple was posing on the red carpet, and Schumer pretended to trip and fall in front of them.
—Charna Flam, PEOPLE, 30 Oct. 2025
The agents pretended not to know that the pilots spent their time jetting around Maduro and other top officials.
—Joshua Goodman, Fortune, 28 Oct. 2025
Among the key pieces of evidence presented at the proceedings was a phone call Donna Adelson made to Charles Adelson after an undercover FBI agent approached her and pretended to be affiliated with the murder plot.
—Tim Stelloh, NBC news, 24 Oct. 2025
The rest of his Republican colleagues gleefully approved the bill and have pretended ever since that their vote was the right thing to do.
—The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 22 Oct. 2025
Tapping into his State Farm acting chops on fourth down while leading 7-0, Mahomes pretended to be frustrated with a Reid play-call before handing the ball off.
—Pete Sweeney, Kansas City Star, 21 Oct. 2025
Take Bata Kindai Amgoza ibn LoBagola, who pretended to be this African native descended from the Lost Tribe of Israel but was actually born in Baltimore in the Jim Crow South.
—JSTOR Daily, 16 Oct. 2025
Link then called 911 and pretended not to know who Jimenez was despite being married to him for nine years, Bergida said.
—Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 16 Oct. 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
Roberts got up and pretended to have an injury, while also revealing a sweatshirt that was covered in dirt.
—Noah Camras, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2025
There, the former couple was posing on the red carpet, and Schumer pretended to trip and fall in front of them.
—Charna Flam, PEOPLE, 30 Oct. 2025
The agents pretended not to know that the pilots spent their time jetting around Maduro and other top officials.
—Joshua Goodman, Fortune, 28 Oct. 2025
Among the key pieces of evidence presented at the proceedings was a phone call Donna Adelson made to Charles Adelson after an undercover FBI agent approached her and pretended to be affiliated with the murder plot.
—Tim Stelloh, NBC news, 24 Oct. 2025
The rest of his Republican colleagues gleefully approved the bill and have pretended ever since that their vote was the right thing to do.
—The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 22 Oct. 2025
Tapping into his State Farm acting chops on fourth down while leading 7-0, Mahomes pretended to be frustrated with a Reid play-call before handing the ball off.
—Pete Sweeney, Kansas City Star, 21 Oct. 2025
Take Bata Kindai Amgoza ibn LoBagola, who pretended to be this African native descended from the Lost Tribe of Israel but was actually born in Baltimore in the Jim Crow South.
—JSTOR Daily, 16 Oct. 2025
Link then called 911 and pretended not to know who Jimenez was despite being married to him for nine years, Bergida said.
—Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 16 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pretended
Adjective
-
In those meetings, our would-be bosses told us to make mock phone calls to prospective clients to gauge our ability to convince strangers about the merit of an imaginary product.—
Snigdha Poonam,
The Dial,
28 Oct. 2025
-
Instead of focusing on industry experience, assess the transferable skills students build through schoolwork and first jobs, such as critical thinking and problem solving needed for a mock trial in a political science course.—
Allison Danielsen,
Fortune,
26 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Cybercriminals often use fake promotional emails or ads that look like real store offers.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
2 Nov. 2025
-
The cohost brought up the astronaut during a discussion of Kim Kardashian's claim that the moon landing was fake.—
Joey Nolfi,
Entertainment Weekly,
1 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Richards first posed fully nude for the adult publication in December 2004, only five months after giving birth.—
Tracy Wright,
FOXNews.com,
3 Nov. 2025
-
To all appearances, the riddle of identity had been posed and solved.—
James Marcus,
New Yorker,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
As Parekh noted on the call, this outlook assumed no change in global tariff rates or policies and no change in the macroeconomic outlook, which has been worsening.—
Zev Fima,
CNBC,
31 Oct. 2025
-
Essayli assumed the position on April 2, which meant his term would have expired on July 31.—
Jenna Sundel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Rookie first-round draft pick Nique Clifford has been upgraded to questionable after missing the past four games with a strained right hamstring.—
Jason Anderson,
Sacbee.com,
31 Oct. 2025
-
Father Mother Sister Brother tells the story of estranged siblings who reunite after years apart and are forced to confront unresolved tensions and reevaluate their strained relationships with their emotionally distant parents.—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
31 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The building’s 75 units offer a slew of swanky amenities, including a double-height lobby, 24-hour concierge, fitness and yoga facilities, a residents’ lounge, landscaped courtyard, and rooftop terrace.—
Abby Montanez,
Robb Report,
31 Oct. 2025
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Nespresso Cafecito de Puerto Rico Pods Perfect for strong coffee lovers, Nespresso’s Cafecito de Puerto Rico blend produces a bold, full-bodied double espresso with notes of dark cocoa and pepper and a silky crema on top.—
Mark Marino,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
North Ridge Partners acted as the exclusive financial adviser on the deal.—
Kapil Kajal,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Nov. 2025
-
Fatty acids were then released into the skin, which acted as a signal for hair stem cells to grow.—
Angelica Stabile,
FOXNews.com,
2 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Wednesday’s ballistic missile launches by North Korea were the first of their kind since the country on May 8 tested short-range systems that simulated nuclear counterstrikes against US and South Korean forces.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
22 Oct. 2025
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In 2011, Deconinck and Oliveras simulated different disturbances with higher and higher frequencies and watched what happened to the Stokes waves.—
Joseph Howlett,
Quanta Magazine,
15 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pretended.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pretended. Accessed 5 Nov. 2025.
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