pretender

noun

pri-ˈten-dər How to pronounce pretender (audio)
Definition of pretendernext
as in fraud
one who makes false claims of identity or expertise it turns out that the guy who claimed to work for a modeling agency was just a pretender

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 pretender Now, hardship seems to be an end in itself, a battle scar or badge of honor that distinguishes true backpackers from mere pretenders. — Tim Brinkhof, Time, 4 May 2026 This is where hype turns into hard numbers, and contenders start getting separated from pretenders. — Geoff Clark Outkick, FOXNews.com, 25 Apr. 2026 With a light two-game Good Friday schedule, this is a good time to take a closer look at the contenders and pretenders as the season gets down to the wire. — Carol Schram, Forbes.com, 3 Apr. 2026 The alliance successfully supported Maria Cristiana, who was acting as regent for Isabella II in Spain and had allied herself with the liberals against the pretender Don Carlos in the First Carlist War (1833–39). — Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for pretender
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pretender
  1. fraud
  2. fake
  3. sham
  4. impostor
  5. deceiver
  6. charlatan
  7. faker
  8. mountebank
Noun
  • Made false claims of massive fraud of millions of undocumented people voting.
    — Mathew Miranda, Sacbee.com, 17 July 2026
  • The consignor was later identified as an accomplice in a separate auction fraud case in Hebei province.
    — Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 17 July 2026
Definition of fraud
Noun
  • The stage, now covered in water, is quickly cleared as Holzinger comforts Nüganen; the fake-out isn’t entirely apparent until Saioa Alvarez comes out dressed as a plumber to take a look.
    — Lauren Oyler, New Yorker, 20 July 2026
  • In this case, as staff eventually discovered, the box had been returned – but the books themselves had been replaced with fakes.
    — Marc Ramirez, USA Today, 15 July 2026
Definition of fake
Noun
  • Thoughtful details like precision stitching and rounded corners help keep the lightweight fill evenly in place, while the matching shams feature discrete overlap closures with charming scalloped trim.
    — Better Homes & Gardens, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 July 2026
  • Treat it as the foundation for a beautifully layered bed or add the matching pillow shams to streamline the look.
    — Vy Yang, Architectural Digest, 17 July 2026
Definition of sham
Noun
  • Then check your insurance account and watch for imposters who know just enough to sound convincing.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 15 July 2026
  • Such impostor scams, when a criminal pretends to be a legitimate business or even a government official, are proliferating and morphing at an accelerated rate as artificial intelligence makes impersonation easier than ever.
    — Bill Lukitsch, Boston Herald, 13 July 2026
Definition of impostor
Noun
  • The actors are perfectly cast, starting with Marmaï’s likable Antoine, the only player here not being the deceiver.
    — Pete Hammond, Deadline, 12 May 2026
  • The film tells the true and twisted tale of a deceiver of land and folk, who, defying her birth as a woman, comported herself as a man and committed many a wicked deed.
    — Leo Barraclough, Variety, 20 Jan. 2026
Definition of deceiver
Noun
  • In place of San Francisco’s decaying arts bohemia of poseurs and charlatans, they can be said to be creating an alternate bohemia.
    — Michael Bernick, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026
  • Others estimate that $500 billion in federal spending is diverted by charlatans each year.
    — Las Vegas Review-Journal, Twin Cities, 7 June 2026
Definition of charlatan
Noun
  • To tell the truly venomous from the fakers, there are a couple details to help distinguish the two.
    — Kirsten Fiscus, Nashville Tennessean, 17 Sep. 2025
Definition of faker
Noun
  • Good afternoon and welcome to Con Con, the convention for swindlers, mountebanks, and the people who love them.
    — Henry Alford, New Yorker, 1 Dec. 2025
  • Godard might have come across as a species of poseur – a pretentious, quote-spouting mountebank – but his way of seeing was genuinely new.
    — Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor, 13 Nov. 2025
Definition of mountebank

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Cite this Entry

“Pretender.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pretender. Accessed 24 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of pretender for Spanish Speakers

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