as in frauds
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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pretenders
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
These two pretenders reflect an insider debate whose subject is not the existence of the Islamic Republic but the best method of its survival.
—
Karim Sadjadpour,
The Atlantic,
4 Mar. 2026
The Cult of the Beaver has to fend off pretenders.
—
Aj Willingham,
AJC.com,
13 Jan. 2026
Momentum hardens, vulnerabilities are exposed and the gap between contenders and pretenders is out in the open.
—
Clayton Davis,
Variety,
7 Jan. 2026
With the monetary system in a free-fall, some Iranians would rather have a beneficent king than all these pretenders oh-so-interested in the people.
—
Editorial Board,
Washington Post,
5 Jan. 2026
The Patriots are contenders, the Bears pretenders.
—
Jerry McDonald,
Mercury News,
4 Dec. 2025
Discernment in separating potential winners from the pretenders is a positive, if sometimes manic and messy, process.
—
Michael Santoli,
CNBC,
10 Nov. 2025
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
These two pretenders reflect an insider debate whose subject is not the existence of the Islamic Republic but the best method of its survival.
—
Karim Sadjadpour,
The Atlantic,
4 Mar. 2026
The Cult of the Beaver has to fend off pretenders.
—
Aj Willingham,
AJC.com,
13 Jan. 2026
Momentum hardens, vulnerabilities are exposed and the gap between contenders and pretenders is out in the open.
—
Clayton Davis,
Variety,
7 Jan. 2026
With the monetary system in a free-fall, some Iranians would rather have a beneficent king than all these pretenders oh-so-interested in the people.
—
Editorial Board,
Washington Post,
5 Jan. 2026
The Patriots are contenders, the Bears pretenders.
—
Jerry McDonald,
Mercury News,
4 Dec. 2025
Discernment in separating potential winners from the pretenders is a positive, if sometimes manic and messy, process.
—
Michael Santoli,
CNBC,
10 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pretenders
Noun
-
Their only inheritance is a legacy of two-bit crime that inspires them to run increasingly audacious frauds.
-
Lan, 69, built a sprawling real estate empire of luxury homes and commercial properties before she was accused of one of the biggest frauds in global history.
Noun
-
Maclean’s work traffics in deep fakes and glitch aesthetics, rainbow cuteness and the tropes of pulp—but these are set against violent dystopias and a world of cruelties borne, especially, by women (see her 2018 video Make Me Up as an example).
-
Thirty-four years having passed since the last go-round, we are treated to such modern advances as catfishing, drones, deep fakes, social media and pushy true-crime podcasters.
Noun
-
Made up of sharp angles and straight lines, the quilt and its matching shams have a look that strikes the right balance between classic and contemporary.
-
The quilt also comes with two matching 20-x-36-inch pillow shams.
Noun
-
Others estimate that $500 billion in federal spending is diverted by charlatans each year.
-
The 21st century’s obstacles for young men—as seen in deaths of despair and lagging employment—have been amply publicized both by credible journalists and by charlatans such as Fuentes.
Noun
-
This stops deepfakes and imposters.
-
When news of Israel’s secret outposts in Iraq’s desert emerged, Iraqis admonished their leaders as traitors, and the boisterous militiamen affiliated with the government as impostors for allowing their land to be colonized by an enemy.
Noun
-
To tell the truly venomous from the fakers, there are a couple details to help distinguish the two.
Cite this Entry
“Pretenders.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pretenders. Accessed 4 Jul. 2026.
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