as in hypocritical
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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
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Recent Examples of pretending
Harry De Cosemo, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2025
Los Angeles Times, 29 May 2026
Some owners show their mettle for a spell, then find adequate reason to knuckle under; others have no intention of even pretending to do what is hard or what is right.
—David Remnick, New Yorker, 29 May 2026
Atletico Madrid have escalated their row with Barcelona over forward Julian Alvarez with a series of fake transfer rumour posts on social media, including pretending to offer Bad Bunny tickets in exchange for Lamine Yamal.
—Ali Rampling, New York Times, 29 May 2026
That includes its fifth and final season, with Deborah (Jean Smart) going on The Amazing Race, and Deborah and Ava (Hannah Einbinder) pretending to be a couple.
—Tiffany Kelly, Entertainment Weekly, 29 May 2026
The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office is warning people in the Florida Keys not to fall for scams in which thieves are pretending to be cops asking for money, often cryptocurrency.
—David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 28 May 2026
And Melania was said to have no interest in pretending otherwise.
—Stylecaster Editors, StyleCaster, 27 May 2026
Scammers can also call, text or email while pretending to be your bank.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 27 May 2026
Stay open without pretending every detail is solved.
—Tarot.com, Chicago Tribune, 24 May 2026
Adjective
There can be no more pretending, briefing or hiding.
—Harry De Cosemo, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2025
Verb
Instead of pretending to be doctors attempting to remove body parts from a patient, however, Unethical Hoops players act as members of an opposing basketball team trying to take the ball from a cartoon character who very much resembles Gilgeous-Alexander.
—Los Angeles Times, 29 May 2026
Some owners show their mettle for a spell, then find adequate reason to knuckle under; others have no intention of even pretending to do what is hard or what is right.
—David Remnick, New Yorker, 29 May 2026
Atletico Madrid have escalated their row with Barcelona over forward Julian Alvarez with a series of fake transfer rumour posts on social media, including pretending to offer Bad Bunny tickets in exchange for Lamine Yamal.
—Ali Rampling, New York Times, 29 May 2026
That includes its fifth and final season, with Deborah (Jean Smart) going on The Amazing Race, and Deborah and Ava (Hannah Einbinder) pretending to be a couple.
—Tiffany Kelly, Entertainment Weekly, 29 May 2026
The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office is warning people in the Florida Keys not to fall for scams in which thieves are pretending to be cops asking for money, often cryptocurrency.
—David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 28 May 2026
And Melania was said to have no interest in pretending otherwise.
—Stylecaster Editors, StyleCaster, 27 May 2026
Scammers can also call, text or email while pretending to be your bank.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 27 May 2026
Stay open without pretending every detail is solved.
—Tarot.com, Chicago Tribune, 24 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pretending
Adjective
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People are fixating on celebrities of all kinds, accusing singers of body-positive anthems of being hypocritical, rolling their eyes at athletes promoting weight loss drugs and whispering about the thinness of their favorite movie stars.—
Sara Moniuszko,
USA Today,
29 May 2026
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Yet, the sense of cognitive dissonance that pervades this space can feel blindingly hypocritical.—
Megan Feringa,
New York Times,
27 May 2026
Verb
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While posing for photos, Faris was joined by her 13-year-old son Jack, whom the actress shares with former husband Chris Pratt.—
Julia Teti,
Footwear News,
4 June 2026
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Recapping the day's activities on Instagram, Baldwin shared several snaps, including adorable snaps of Holland interacting with the animals and posing with family members like grandma Kim Basinger.—
Hannah Sacks,
PEOPLE,
4 June 2026
Verb
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Three days after that, Skubal fired 35 pitches in another bullpen session, simulating what would normally be a start day.—
Cody Stavenhagen,
New York Times,
26 May 2026
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These models are getting better at simulating reality.—
Nilay Patel,
The Verge,
26 May 2026
Adjective
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The takeaway, then, isn’t that students are duplicitous and depraved or that technology has eroded their moral core.—
Jay Caspian Kang,
New Yorker,
19 May 2026
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Also on the call sheet is Kathryn Hahn, hailed for her recent works in Agatha All Along and The Studio, and who is playing the duplicitous Mother Gothel.—
Borys Kit,
HollywoodReporter,
1 May 2026
Verb
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New York leads, 12-7, after a pair of early 3-pointers and by playing fast to try to get ahead of the defense of Victor Wembanyama.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
4 June 2026
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Hanging on his wall as inspiration was a rhapsodic review of My Left Foot, which earned Daniel Day-Lewis his first Oscar for playing a guy with cerebral palsy.—
Lacey Rose,
HollywoodReporter,
3 June 2026
Verb
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Massamba Diop has one of the highest ceilings of any transfer, and Braden Huff returns with the best hook shot in college hoops (assuming JT Toppin doesn’t play this season).—
CJ Moore
June 2,
New York Times,
2 June 2026
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How data has helped root out discrimination The more imminent change, assuming the EEOC's proposals go forward, is the demise of the agency's annual collection of employee demographics.—
Andrea Hsu,
NPR,
1 June 2026
Adjective
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But somewhere between legal automation and insincere executive empathy is the place where actual human communication still exists.—
Alexander Puutio,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2026
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Sybiha said Russia’s actions exposed its calls for a separate ceasefire around May 9 as insincere.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
6 May 2026
Verb
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The president acting alone can’t change that.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
31 May 2026
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That’s why the original voices of legacy filmmakers are worth protecting, even when some of that group’s AI advocates seem hell-bent on acting against the industry’s long-term best interests.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
31 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pretending.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pretending. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
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