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
Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 15 Feb. 2026
Naturally, Liz decides to create her own rom-com HAE and rope Wes into helping her win Michael’s heart by pretending to fake date each other.
—Literary Hub, 13 Feb. 2026
Heathcliff has tricked Edgar’s sister, Isabella, into marrying him by pretending to love her.
—Becky Little, Time, 13 Feb. 2026
The alternative to appreciating the fact that one of the most listened-to artists on the planet is also a breathtaking showman with an altruistic heart is pretending that Kid Rock had the more impactful evening.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 9 Feb. 2026
For many visitors, this was their first encounter with an international fair of this scale, and the organizers designed around that reality rather than pretending otherwise.
—Manal Albarakati, semafor.com, 9 Feb. 2026
Chris Kreider, winger, B+ Jacob Trouba, defenseman, B+ Both players were jettisoned by the New York Rangers, who sunk in the standings and have continued selling off after pretending as though their leadership group was the issue.
—Andrew Knoll, Oc Register, 7 Feb. 2026
The new study provides the first evidence of an animal pretending in a situation researchers could control.
—Evan Bush, NBC news, 5 Feb. 2026
The set-ups served as essential to a scam where people are targeted by scam operators pretending to be officials or other authority figures.
—Sakchai Lalit, Los Angeles Times, 3 Feb. 2026
Adjective
There can be no more pretending, briefing or hiding.
—Harry De Cosemo, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2025
Verb
When Game 3 of the 1917 World Series between the White Sox and New York Giants was rained out, Lardner was in New York and wrote a fictional column pretending the game had actually been played.
—Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 15 Feb. 2026
Naturally, Liz decides to create her own rom-com HAE and rope Wes into helping her win Michael’s heart by pretending to fake date each other.
—Literary Hub, 13 Feb. 2026
Heathcliff has tricked Edgar’s sister, Isabella, into marrying him by pretending to love her.
—Becky Little, Time, 13 Feb. 2026
The alternative to appreciating the fact that one of the most listened-to artists on the planet is also a breathtaking showman with an altruistic heart is pretending that Kid Rock had the more impactful evening.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 9 Feb. 2026
For many visitors, this was their first encounter with an international fair of this scale, and the organizers designed around that reality rather than pretending otherwise.
—Manal Albarakati, semafor.com, 9 Feb. 2026
Chris Kreider, winger, B+ Jacob Trouba, defenseman, B+ Both players were jettisoned by the New York Rangers, who sunk in the standings and have continued selling off after pretending as though their leadership group was the issue.
—Andrew Knoll, Oc Register, 7 Feb. 2026
The new study provides the first evidence of an animal pretending in a situation researchers could control.
—Evan Bush, NBC news, 5 Feb. 2026
The set-ups served as essential to a scam where people are targeted by scam operators pretending to be officials or other authority figures.
—Sakchai Lalit, Los Angeles Times, 3 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pretending
Adjective
-
Judges could reason the NCAA interpreting rules to allow pros from some leagues, but not others, is hypocritical and arbitrary.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
10 Feb. 2026
-
And if you’re inspired to take some meaningful, not at all hypocritical action against book bans, there are plenty of ways to get plugged in with Authors Against Book Bans.—
James Folta,
Literary Hub,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip posing for a family photo with their four children outside at Frogmore House in Windsor.—
Lori A Bashian,
FOXNews.com,
20 Feb. 2026
-
Those encounters can quickly escalate, posing a danger to students and the public, the Police Department said.—
Alex Wigglesworth,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The date was set after NASA completed an elaborate fueling test and launch-day walkthrough Thursday, filling its Space Launch System rocket with more than 700,000 gallons of cryogenic propellant and simulating nearly every step of the countdown to liftoff.—
Denise Chow,
NBC news,
20 Feb. 2026
-
The approach of simulating thousands of possibilities and comparing results to physical evidence is transferable to other domains where partial physical evidence exists but documentation doesn’t.—
Hanna Wickes,
Miami Herald,
19 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
In his account, an international order run by a single power would hinder Russia and produce needless conflict, especially when that power was as self-serving and duplicitous as America.—
Alan Cullison,
The Atlantic,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Fletcher was intrigued — there are plenty of ticket buyers out there who want to relive their Hi Infidelity days — until the contract revealed itself to be a bit duplicitous in nature.—
Devon Ivie,
Vulture,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Former defense minister Kim Yong-hyun was also found guilty Thursday of playing a major role in the insurrection and sentenced to 30 years in prison.—
Helen Regan,
CNN Money,
19 Feb. 2026
-
On a frigid night recently, about a dozen people arrived at the Evanston Public Library to try playing a new game created by Steven Franconeri, a Northwestern University psychology professor.—
Jeff Banowetz,
Chicago Tribune,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
That will add another two years to the litigation battle before any trials could even start, and that is assuming the energy companies lose.—
Mark Curriden,
Dallas Morning News,
14 Feb. 2026
-
The cap number can be held in a moderate range well beyond 2027, but assuming Nix has a healthy and productive 2026 season, Denver’s days with a quarterback on a rookie deal are numbered.—
Parker Gabriel,
Denver Post,
11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Which is not to say that Amodei is being insincere.—
Jeremy Kahn,
Fortune,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Then again, Friday’s show was a reminder that much of Rascal Flatts’ output can get overly glossy and insincere, so maybe that wasn’t such a bad thing after all.—
Ross Raihala,
Twin Cities,
24 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The common factor in all of this is the Federal Reserve (albeit acting in very good faith in response to successive defense, financial and health crises) increased the amount of money sloshing around relative to the size of the economy to unprecedented levels.—
Edward Lotterman,
Twin Cities,
15 Feb. 2026
-
Hetzel’s contributions to the documentation and preservation of Imperial County history cannot be understated, acting as a valuable resource into understanding the truth of county infrastructure, development and industry.—
Michael James Rocha,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
15 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pretending.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pretending. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
