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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 pretenders
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
As the difference between contenders and pretenders becomes clearer each week, the Seahawks took a significant step Sunday toward cementing themselves as a team to be reckoned with down the line.
—Michael-Shawn Dugar, New York Times, 10 Nov. 2025
Week 10 kicked off the month with several examples of contenders and pretenders revealing themselves.
—Erick Smith, USA Today, 3 Nov. 2025
Week 9 of the college football season separated some contenders from pretenders.
—Jordan Sigler, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Oct. 2025
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
As the difference between contenders and pretenders becomes clearer each week, the Seahawks took a significant step Sunday toward cementing themselves as a team to be reckoned with down the line.
—Michael-Shawn Dugar, New York Times, 10 Nov. 2025
Week 10 kicked off the month with several examples of contenders and pretenders revealing themselves.
—Erick Smith, USA Today, 3 Nov. 2025
Week 9 of the college football season separated some contenders from pretenders.
—Jordan Sigler, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pretenders
Noun
-
The frauds have grown nearly in lockstep with the growth of the industry.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
11 Jan. 2026
-
There is absolutely no evidence that frauds of this type or anywhere near this scale are happening in any of the other four states, or frankly that there is a large volume of as-yet-undiscovered fraud in Minnesota itself.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
For now, the small-cap breakout to a new high should be respected after so many head fakes since 2021.—
Michael Santoli,
CNBC,
26 Jan. 2026
-
In the meantime, prepare and arm your self and your company to better spot the fakes—start with video.—
Dean DeBiase,
Forbes.com,
24 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The shams zip completely closed, so there’s no shifting or falling out of the case.—
Stephanie Osmanski,
Better Homes & Gardens,
29 Dec. 2025
-
This brand also offers a variety of contrasting shams, extra monograms, and even matching duvet covers.—
Nora Taylor,
Architectural Digest,
29 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
First up was Ben Shapiro, who described Tucker Carlson and others as grifters and charlatans, guilty of misleading their audiences with falsehoods and conspiracy theories.—
Jonathan J. Cooper,
Fortune,
19 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
And when stuck in this uncomfortable space, people who feel like impostors are likely to become defensive and feel pressured to be a hero.—
John M. LaVelle,
The Conversation,
9 Dec. 2025
-
Now, artificial intelligence has become the latest battleground for digital impostors.—
Staff,
FOXNews.com,
28 Nov. 2025
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
Cite this Entry
“Pretenders.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pretenders. Accessed 28 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
