1
as in right
an entitlement to something
a pretension of long standing to the throne of Hungary
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in arrogance
an exaggerated sense of one's importance that shows itself in the making of excessive or unjustified claims
a woman full of pretension and pompousness
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in affectation
the quality or state of appearing or trying to appear more important or more valuable than is the case
the pretension of that French restaurant is more than I can bear
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in purpose
something that one hopes or intends to accomplish
has serious pretensions of becoming a writer
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pretension
Drop the pretension of a late-night club and lean into a space-filled with incredible music and community (and the pleasant glow of daylight).
—
Britt Julious, Chicago Tribune, 14 Jan. 2026
His pretensions—riding around in a grand coach and continuing the weekly levees—as well as his administration’s notorious effort to enforce deference in the 1798 Sedition Act, fell flat.
—Jake Lundberg, The Atlantic, 7 Jan. 2026
But the soul of the city lies in the West Kowloon Cultural District, where the M+ museum offers art without velvet-rope pretension.
—Christopher Elliott, USA Today, 1 Jan. 2026
The same thing Linklater has been teaching me my whole life, which is that humor is the great cure for pretension.
—Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 5 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pretension
Britt Julious, Chicago Tribune, 14 Jan. 2026
His pretensions—riding around in a grand coach and continuing the weekly levees—as well as his administration’s notorious effort to enforce deference in the 1798 Sedition Act, fell flat.
—Jake Lundberg, The Atlantic, 7 Jan. 2026
But the soul of the city lies in the West Kowloon Cultural District, where the M+ museum offers art without velvet-rope pretension.
—Christopher Elliott, USA Today, 1 Jan. 2026
The same thing Linklater has been teaching me my whole life, which is that humor is the great cure for pretension.
—Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 5 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pretension
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pretension
Noun
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Members of Congress have for months been denied their lawful right to inspect detention facilities in Minnesota, New Jersey, Florida and California.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
27 Jan. 2026
-
The underlying lawsuit, filed in December, alleges that federal officers violated the First and Fourth Amendment rights of six protesters.—
Kaelan Deese,
The Washington Examiner,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach take turns transforming into floating marketplaces — docks converted to catwalks, hulls polished to reflective arrogance, sales reps who can quote fuel burn like yacht owners care about costs.—
Eric Barton,
Sun Sentinel,
4 Jan. 2026
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College football is awash in problems, including the Big Ten’s unrivaled arrogance, and its never-ending list of demands that would make Notre Dame blush.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
1 Jan. 2026
Noun
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For the most part though, For the First Time, Again is weighed down by oversinging and emotional affectation.—
Millan Verma,
Pitchfork,
30 Jan. 2026
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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
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In a consumer environment growing increasingly skeptical, leading with purpose and transparency builds trust and authority that will compound over time.—
Serenity Gibbons,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
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In a prepared speech, Kristi Noem lied about the events, claiming Alex Pretti approached agents with a firearm, and that Alex Pretti, an ICU nurse, came for the sole purpose of murder.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Federal officials said Good attempted to drive her vehicle toward agents during the encounter, a claim disputed by family members and some local leaders.—
Sophia Compton,
FOXNews.com,
12 Jan. 2026
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Witnesses and local leaders have contradicted that claim, saying Good was trying to leave and steering away from the agent.—
Michael Abeyta,
CBS News,
12 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
His team did not take the opportunity to fully exert their superiority against weakened opponents.—
Amy Lawrence,
New York Times,
15 Jan. 2026
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Given their overall superiority in data transfer speeds and load times, SSD is generally the superior choice, though HDDs are just fine for less sensitive data.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
14 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Federal officials have declared ICE’s killings lawful and justified over social media without any pretense of a formal review, making statements that are cruel, derogatory, misleading, or simply false.—
The Atlantic,
The Atlantic,
26 Jan. 2026
-
Investigators say Wilson approached her under the pretense of needing directions.—
Jane LaCroix,
PEOPLE,
22 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Pageau smashed home his second goal late in the third to finish off a listless Flyers team.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
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Playing five games over the course of three days, Willis logged three goals and two assists.—
Clark Fahrenthold,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
27 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pretension.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pretension. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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