as in hypocritical
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
1
as in posing
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 simulating
to present a false appearance of
as if I would ever pretend illness just to take off a day from work
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 pretending
Harry De Cosemo,
Forbes.com,
20 Aug. 2025
Gerald J. Leonard,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2026
This has included perpetrators pretending to administer a survey in their car, posing as a social worker giving away free baby items at their home, accompanying victims to a doctor’s appointment at a nonexistent clinic, and luring them to fake baby showers.
—
Elizabeth Yuko,
Rolling Stone,
18 June 2026
The question is why so many other people are pretending not to.
—
Dan Zaksheske Outkick,
FOXNews.com,
17 June 2026
Warsh has built a 15-year argument on one premise—that inflation is a choice, and that the Fed forfeited its credibility by pretending otherwise.
—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
17 June 2026
The schemes involve a predator pretending to be a teenager online and tricking victims into sending illicit photos of themselves.
—
Sarah N. Lynch,
CBS News,
17 June 2026
The remaining third presumably were off doing football hooliganism or pretending that Oasis isn’t total shite.
—
Anthony Crupi,
Sportico.com,
12 June 2026
When Cantor wasn’t pretending to call a game or singing Rod Stewart hits, Petruska said talk invariably turned to dreams and aspirations.
—
Josh Gross,
Daily News,
11 June 2026
Stop pretending like the past isn’t still affecting your mood, Virgo.
—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
11 June 2026
Adjective
There can be no more pretending, briefing or hiding.
—
Harry De Cosemo,
Forbes.com,
20 Aug. 2025
Verb
Clarity does not require pretending the fog is gone.
—
Gerald J. Leonard,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2026
This has included perpetrators pretending to administer a survey in their car, posing as a social worker giving away free baby items at their home, accompanying victims to a doctor’s appointment at a nonexistent clinic, and luring them to fake baby showers.
—
Elizabeth Yuko,
Rolling Stone,
18 June 2026
The question is why so many other people are pretending not to.
—
Dan Zaksheske Outkick,
FOXNews.com,
17 June 2026
Warsh has built a 15-year argument on one premise—that inflation is a choice, and that the Fed forfeited its credibility by pretending otherwise.
—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
17 June 2026
The schemes involve a predator pretending to be a teenager online and tricking victims into sending illicit photos of themselves.
—
Sarah N. Lynch,
CBS News,
17 June 2026
The remaining third presumably were off doing football hooliganism or pretending that Oasis isn’t total shite.
—
Anthony Crupi,
Sportico.com,
12 June 2026
When Cantor wasn’t pretending to call a game or singing Rod Stewart hits, Petruska said talk invariably turned to dreams and aspirations.
—
Josh Gross,
Daily News,
11 June 2026
Stop pretending like the past isn’t still affecting your mood, Virgo.
—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
11 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pretending
Adjective
-
There are few things in this world more sanctimonious and hypocritical than left-wing sportswriters getting on their faux moral high horse.
-
Earlier this month, Matsui’s campaign came after Vang for taking corporate donations from Sacramento-area businesses during her city council campaigns, implying that Vang’s vows to not accept money from corporate PACs in her congressional bid is hypocritical.
Verb
-
Law Roach, who curated Zendaya's look, later shared a video of the actress posing on the red carpet.
-
Swiping through the rest of the personal snapshots, the sisters are seen over the years enjoying ice cream cones on a New York City stoop, hugging, sharing a swing, practicing ballet, and posing with their famous mother backstage at Cinderella on Broadway.
Verb
-
This has become increasingly difficult, with professional players routinely simulating injuries and an offside rule that is interpreted to within fractions of an inch.
-
Hundreds of first responders and volunteers gathered at Detroit Metropolitan Airport Wednesday morning to take part in a full-scale emergency training exercise simulating a real-life plane crash.
Adjective
-
Infiltrate a swanky New York law firm that may be duplicitous in the opioid crisis, an epidemic that also happens to have taken the life of her daughter.
-
The takeaway, then, isn’t that students are duplicitous and depraved or that technology has eroded their moral core.
Verb
-
Ella Bruccoleri may be playing a Bennet sister on TV, but the actress wasn’t always a fan of Jane Austen.
-
According to court documents, Zimmerman was playing golf at the hotel's course throughout the day with friends.
Verb
-
People also tend to confuse fragrance intensity with cleanliness, assuming a strong smell means a deeper clean.
-
Investors will take riskier positions, assuming the central bank will save them from their own mistakes.
Adjective
-
And so, open door policies rarely fail because leaders are insincere.
-
Everyone else was various degrees of insincere or arch.
Verb
-
The board appointed veteran district administrator Andres Chait as acting superintendent.
-
Bhushan also served as acting surgeon general of California in 2022.
Cite this Entry
“Pretending.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pretending. Accessed 26 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
