variants
or pretence
1
as in affectation
the quality or state of appearing or trying to appear more important or more valuable than is the case
she seemed to be a very down-to-earth woman who was completely free of pretense
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in facade
a display of emotion or behavior that is insincere or intended to deceive
her display of bravado was just a pretense
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in right
an entitlement to something
this book on gardening makes no pretense at completeness
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in arrogance
an exaggerated sense of one's importance that shows itself in the making of excessive or unjustified claims
the pretense of that woman in thinking that the other hotel guests should be inconvenienced just for her
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pretense
For two hours, everyone agreed to the spectacle, and in that pretense, honesty found a surprising foothold.
—
Jerry Brewer, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
There is no longer even pretense of remorse or accountability.
—Binaifer Nowrojee, Time, 30 Jan. 2026
Johnson eventually pleaded no contest to three counts of false pretenses between $1,000 and $20,000.
—Paula Wethington, CBS News, 29 Jan. 2026
She is also charged with one count of embezzlement from a vulnerable adult of between $1,000 and $20,000 and one count of false pretenses of between $1,000 and $20,000.
—Paul Egan, Freep.com, 28 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pretense
Jerry Brewer, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
There is no longer even pretense of remorse or accountability.
—Binaifer Nowrojee, Time, 30 Jan. 2026
Johnson eventually pleaded no contest to three counts of false pretenses between $1,000 and $20,000.
—Paula Wethington, CBS News, 29 Jan. 2026
She is also charged with one count of embezzlement from a vulnerable adult of between $1,000 and $20,000 and one count of false pretenses of between $1,000 and $20,000.
—Paul Egan, Freep.com, 28 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pretense
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pretense
Noun
-
For the most part though, For the First Time, Again is weighed down by oversinging and emotional affectation.—
Millan Verma,
Pitchfork,
30 Jan. 2026
-
The self-conscious aspiration to hipness here is unfortunate and decidedly not cool, but some may find such affectations quaint.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Now, the spot has undergone a careful restoration of its facades just steps from Como’s city center.—
Nicole Hoey,
Robb Report,
18 Feb. 2026
-
There’s enormous relief in letting go of the facade of perfect containment or the need to perform goodness.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Raman previously worked at a women’s rights organization formed in the aftermath of the #MeToo movement before becoming a council member.—
Dakota Smith,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Feb. 2026
-
Nevertheless, Pérez said, ICE has called on local law enforcement agencies to keep members of the public who have a right to monitor or document ICE activities from doing so.—
Linh Tat,
Daily News,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Raised on a strict diet of toughness and discipline by his father, Dean arrives with undeniable talent – and an arrogance that quickly earns him enemies.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Things moved about at the top with a little more arrogance and zip but at the bottom was the ever-moving present.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
With a takeout window and a sprawling open-air patio currently patrolled by the world’s noisiest rooster, the modest spot just west of I-95 has become known as a place for warm comfort food without pretension.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
29 Jan. 2026
-
The nation was to be purged of continual sin not indeed all of its own doing—due partly to its inheritance; and yet a sin, a negation that gave the world the right to sneer at the pretensions of this republic.—
James Folta,
Literary Hub,
23 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The government insisted his case had nothing to do with press freedom, saying the defendants used journalism as a guise to commit acts that harmed Hong Kong and China.—
Kanis Leung,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Both marques returned to the competition this year in new guises.—
Viju Mathew,
Robb Report,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Those who make these claims apparently haven't been paying much attention these past four years, in particular to which side (hint, Russia) has been forced to shed most of that blood.—
Bradley Gitz,
Arkansas Online,
16 Feb. 2026
-
Tenuous evidence of mass exodus Sensor Tower’s user data more fundamentally seems to suggest that beyond anecdotal claims, users have largely been unable to identify tangible changes in TikTok’s American operations, or at least, not enough to meaningfully shift user sentiment.—
Matthew Chin,
CNBC,
16 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Despite the contradiction, this strategy worked because elites are universally perceived as out of touch with the real world – with privileged and sheltered life experience that begets a sense of superiority.—
Alexa Beck,
Fortune,
15 Feb. 2026
-
The result is a battlefield where concealment is harder, decision cycles are faster, and information superiority increasingly depends on who can best collect, process, and act on what their satellites see.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pretense.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pretense. Accessed 19 Feb. 2026.
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