variants
or pretences
1
as in facades
a display of emotion or behavior that is insincere or intended to deceive
her display of bravado was just a pretense
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in rights
an entitlement to something
this book on gardening makes no pretense at completeness
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of pretenses
Authorities said the gun had been purchased under false pretenses in Indiana.
—
Caroline Kubzansky, Chicago Tribune, 27 Apr. 2026
The 2025 Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery Act, or HEAR Act, expands on a 2016 law, signed by President Barack Obama, that permits victims and descendants of victims of the Holocaust to lay legal claim to works of art looted by the Nazis or sold to the Nazis under false pretenses.
—Jackie Hajdenberg, Sun Sentinel, 20 Apr. 2026
While some of the women who came here willingly embraced ISIS ideology and passed it on to their children, many others say they were trafficked or lured to the region through ignorance or under false pretenses.
—Jane Arraf, NPR, 11 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
And Trump, of course, is not—despite his pretenses otherwise—the sole decider here.
—David Frum, The Atlantic, 25 Mar. 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
Toronto might be considered the New York City of Canada, but Bo Bichette is under no pretenses that playing for the Blue Jays is comparable to playing for one of the baseball teams in the Big Apple.
—Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 21 Jan. 2026
Aurora Municipal Court Judge Brian Whitney issued an order last year pausing more than 300 cases in which attorneys challenged issues under the same pretenses as those before the Supreme Court.
—Sam Tabachnik, Denver Post, 16 Jan. 2026
Caroline Kubzansky, Chicago Tribune, 27 Apr. 2026
The 2025 Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery Act, or HEAR Act, expands on a 2016 law, signed by President Barack Obama, that permits victims and descendants of victims of the Holocaust to lay legal claim to works of art looted by the Nazis or sold to the Nazis under false pretenses.
—Jackie Hajdenberg, Sun Sentinel, 20 Apr. 2026
While some of the women who came here willingly embraced ISIS ideology and passed it on to their children, many others say they were trafficked or lured to the region through ignorance or under false pretenses.
—Jane Arraf, NPR, 11 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
And Trump, of course, is not—despite his pretenses otherwise—the sole decider here.
—David Frum, The Atlantic, 25 Mar. 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
Toronto might be considered the New York City of Canada, but Bo Bichette is under no pretenses that playing for the Blue Jays is comparable to playing for one of the baseball teams in the Big Apple.
—Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 21 Jan. 2026
Aurora Municipal Court Judge Brian Whitney issued an order last year pausing more than 300 cases in which attorneys challenged issues under the same pretenses as those before the Supreme Court.
—Sam Tabachnik, Denver Post, 16 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pretenses
Noun
-
Cruise ships release passengers daily to see the bright, ornate facades lining the harbor.—
Tribune News Service,
Baltimore Sun,
30 Apr. 2026
-
The basilica features three main facades -- the Nativity, the Passion and the Glory -- each depicting a different chapter of Christ's life.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
According to Simpkins, the attorney for the BOE, the department will immediately implement several changes in response to the results of the audit — including clarifying the process for an appeal and notifying taxpayers of their rights and deadlines in a timely manner.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
26 Apr. 2026
-
That same year, Polis vetoed a broader bill that sought to implement new regulations for social media companies that Polis felt would infringe on First Amendment and privacy rights.—
Nick Coltrain,
Denver Post,
26 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
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
-
By the time my story about him was published in the November 2023 issue of Vanity Fair, Aryeh Dodelson, and all of his guises, had disappeared from the face of the earth.—
Nate Freeman,
Vanity Fair,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The numbers also highlight how Safonov is making cross claims or sweeping outside his box more than twice the rate Chevalier is, although the Frenchman is more adept with his feet, playing more passes, completing a higher rate.—
Tom Burrows,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Lead with calm confidence, but keep your claims grounded.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
26 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
In the process, however, one of the big distinguishing aspects of TV – the large audiences who once assembled to watch dramas, sitcoms and reality shows – has eroded.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Trying is one of Apple TV’s longest-running shows and was recently acquired by the BBC in a first-of-its-kind deal.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Spiegelman uses the term micro-looting, dressing up petty theft in political pretensions.—
Thomas Chatterton Williams,
The Atlantic,
23 Apr. 2026
-
Traditionally, Oscars hosts have been at their best when puncturing the pretensions of the stars in attendance, but for the most part, host Conan O’Brien bought into their sense of their own righteousness.—
Peter Tonguette,
The Washington Examiner,
20 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
With the cancellation of Starfleet Academy after its second season airs next year, that should bring the current crop of streaming shows in the franchise to an end.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
26 Apr. 2026
-
The reunion won’t begin airing in full until after the season finale airs on May 19, so this leak comes at least a month ahead of the conversation going public.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
His use of dramatic lighting and the poses of the people in the painting have captured audiences’ attention for nearly four centuries.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Doctors recommend starting a yoga practice slowly, ideally with an instructor, and modifying poses if needed.—
Tom Gavin,
EverydayHealth.com,
22 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pretenses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pretenses. Accessed 3 May. 2026.
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