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
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Recent Examples of pretenses
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
They were booked into Contra Costa County jail on charges of grand theft of an animal, theft by false pretenses and conspiracy.
—Jason Green, Mercury News, 31 Dec. 2025
The Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime said in a May report that women from more than 20 African countries had been recruited under false pretences to make drones for Russia’s war.
—Reuters 16 Hr Ago, CNN Money, 6 Nov. 2025
The audience meets Charles, who is completing yet another stint in jail, this time for false pretenses and evading arrest.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 6 Nov. 2025
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
They were booked into Contra Costa County jail on charges of grand theft of an animal, theft by false pretenses and conspiracy.
—Jason Green, Mercury News, 31 Dec. 2025
The Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime said in a May report that women from more than 20 African countries had been recruited under false pretences to make drones for Russia’s war.
—Reuters 16 Hr Ago, CNN Money, 6 Nov. 2025
The audience meets Charles, who is completing yet another stint in jail, this time for false pretenses and evading arrest.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 6 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pretenses
Noun
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In a Castle Rock that's nearly unrecognizable today, Blanchard hopes the facades make viewers pause and honor the history of their town.—
Olivia Young,
CBS News,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Its exterior is most notable for its gently curving facades across the building’s west and south faces.—
Edward Keegan,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Anna, in a cardigan and a messy bun, has ordered a box of editions of The Ladder, a magazine launched in the fifties, published by the first lesbian-rights organization in the United States.—
Naaman Zhou,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
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Some politicians have even proposed invoking Article 7 of the Treaty of the EU, a legal measure that could revoke Hungary's voting rights in the bloc.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
6 Apr. 2026
Noun
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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
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In its many guises, idolatry has survived, despite regular and often cataclysmic proof of its dangers, for centuries and many people will consider a much-larger-than-life golden statue of a president to be perfectly splendid.—
Culture Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
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But Setrakian claimed California and Texas law protect public officials from defamation claims even in fundraising so long as the offending comments can be reasonably connected to his official duties.—
Will Swaim,
Oc Register,
6 Apr. 2026
-
Extreme claims have circulated.—
Ronan Farrow,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Glaciers all over the world -- especially in Antarctica -- are also retreating at a rapid pace, recent research shows.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
9 Apr. 2026
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On other podcast apps, creators can enable access to their shows via a private RSS link.—
Todd Spangler,
Variety,
8 Apr. 2026
Noun
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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
-
By the early 1950s, many clerics had come to see the Pahlavi monarchy, for all its secular pretensions, as a manageable partner.—
Bobby Ghosh,
Time,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Men’s March Madness airs on TBS and truTV, while games livestream on HBO Max.—
Rudie Obias,
HollywoodReporter,
4 Apr. 2026
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The next episode of Top Chef airs Monday, April 6.—
Erin Clements,
PEOPLE,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Why did these people become memes, but countless other YouTubers or kids making funny poses failed to launch?—
Ben Pettis,
The Conversation,
3 Apr. 2026
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Ragahvan doesn't actually do the poses in class.—
Sheba Turk,
CBS News,
1 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pretenses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pretenses. Accessed 12 Apr. 2026.
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