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
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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
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pretense
No pretense, just genuinely good food in a neighborhood known for its creative, indie energy with murals and coffee shops lining the streets.
—
Lauren Schuster, Miami Herald, 9 Apr. 2026
On Monday, Hunsucker stood quietly as his defense attorney entered his not guilty plea for first-degree murder, insurance fraud and obtaining property by false pretense in Gaston County, North Carolina.
—Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 8 Apr. 2026
Court records said Dintaman, 47, pleaded guilty last October to one count each of conspiracy to commit false pretenses over $100,000, uttering and publishing, forgery and using a computer to commit a crime.
—Nick Lentz, CBS News, 5 Apr. 2026
As architectural fashion has shifted, the software is no longer associated with complex geometry, and the pretense that digital tools might liberate architects—spurring them to new heights of creativity—has faded.
—Julian Rose, Artforum, 26 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pretense
Lauren Schuster, Miami Herald, 9 Apr. 2026
On Monday, Hunsucker stood quietly as his defense attorney entered his not guilty plea for first-degree murder, insurance fraud and obtaining property by false pretense in Gaston County, North Carolina.
—Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 8 Apr. 2026
Court records said Dintaman, 47, pleaded guilty last October to one count each of conspiracy to commit false pretenses over $100,000, uttering and publishing, forgery and using a computer to commit a crime.
—Nick Lentz, CBS News, 5 Apr. 2026
As architectural fashion has shifted, the software is no longer associated with complex geometry, and the pretense that digital tools might liberate architects—spurring them to new heights of creativity—has faded.
—Julian Rose, Artforum, 26 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pretense
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pretense
Noun
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Slumming with her sister in San Francisco after her life with her Madoff-like ex in New York implodes, Jasmine Francis isn't quite willing to let go of the affectations that come with living in high society.—
Darren Franich,
Entertainment Weekly,
15 Mar. 2026
-
For the most part though, For the First Time, Again is weighed down by oversinging and emotional affectation.—
Millan Verma,
Pitchfork,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Covered in silvery industrial panels, with a door that closes flush against the façade, the four-story building stands out for its museumlike minimalism.—
Adriane Quinlan,
Curbed,
15 Apr. 2026
-
Its Edwardian façade and lantern-like corner portico have been carefully restored, a pleasing contrast to the immersive, maximalist interiors that 25hours pulls off so well.—
Travel + Leisure Editors,
Travel + Leisure,
15 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The main problem, lawyers previously told CBS News, is that the FACE Act fundamentally misstates the rights people have under the First Amendment.—
Sarah N. Lynch,
CBS News,
14 Apr. 2026
-
Universal Pictures later snapped up the rights, with Constance Wu attached to star (though the adaptation now sits in development hell).—
Mariella Rudi,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
While their energies differ, nearly all of them share the same basic drives (money, power, status) and the same fundamental flaws (greed, arrogance, selfishness).—
Angie Han,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Their defensive style can look like arrogance or hostility.—
Paul Sanchez Ruiz,
The Conversation,
6 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Electric Bleu is a testament to the reality that food can be technically precise and expertly executed, without the pretension and toxicity so often associated with fine dining kitchens.—
Jenn Harris,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Apr. 2026
-
There’s no phoniness, no pretension.—
Tom Krasovic,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
15 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Then, in the late nineteenth century, the mandolin experienced a second flowering, albeit in a different guise.—
Tim Parks,
New Yorker,
11 Apr. 2026
-
These projects reveal the evil lurking underneath the guises of killers who were so often hiding in plain sight.—
Katie Rife,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 Apr. 2026
Noun
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According to Donelon, fraudulent-accident claims relating to big-rig collisions increased the average yearly insurance costs for each family in Louisiana by as much as six hundred dollars.—
Patrick Radden Keefe,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
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The Duke and Duchess of Sussex's appearance at the Netflix event comes amid a March 17 Variety report alleging tension between the couple and the streaming giant — claims that have been previously denied by both the Sussexes and Netflix.—
Charlotte Phillipp,
PEOPLE,
12 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Critics accused American Eagle and Sweeney of creating an ad that implied that white people from a European background have genetic superiority over everyone else.—
Martha Ross,
Mercury News,
9 Apr. 2026
-
They have been used so often, the labels have worked to beguile the Democratic base into accepting that Republicans really are evil, that all the hyperbolic language is true and that progressives should be proud of their moral and intellectual superiority.—
Chris Roemer,
Baltimore Sun,
9 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pretense.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pretense. Accessed 19 Apr. 2026.
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