1
as in rights
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 goals
something that one hopes or intends to accomplish
has serious pretensions of becoming a writer
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pretensions
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
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
The war with Ukraine has revealed the yawning gap between Russia’s pretensions and its capabilities.
—George F. Will, Washington Post, 27 Feb. 2026
With his dweeby air, pretensions and position at the helm of an active production, Arthur is the Liz Lemon of this setup, but with the emphases reversed.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 23 Feb. 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
This action comedy is audacious in portraying the pretensions of show business.
—Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 19 Jan. 2026
The pilot isn’t quite sure what makes Arthur funny, alternating between jokes about his artistic pretensions and his extreme whiteness.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 18 Jan. 2026
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
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
The war with Ukraine has revealed the yawning gap between Russia’s pretensions and its capabilities.
—George F. Will, Washington Post, 27 Feb. 2026
With his dweeby air, pretensions and position at the helm of an active production, Arthur is the Liz Lemon of this setup, but with the emphases reversed.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 23 Feb. 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
This action comedy is audacious in portraying the pretensions of show business.
—Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 19 Jan. 2026
The pilot isn’t quite sure what makes Arthur funny, alternating between jokes about his artistic pretensions and his extreme whiteness.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 18 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pretensions
Noun
-
At the building’s peak, five-foot-tall concrete letters spell out a hundred and three words of a speech delivered by Obama in Selma, Alabama, in 2015, on the fiftieth anniversary of Bloody Sunday, when John Lewis and other civil-rights activists were beaten at the foot of the Edmund Pettus Bridge.—
Peter Slevin,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
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The defense said Allen's presence on suicide precautions limits his ability to mount a defense and deprives him of his due process rights.—
Garrett Downs,
CNBC,
3 May 2026
Noun
-
Senior forward Jordyn Washington, who also scored Tuesday, has a team-best 17 goals.—
Patrick Z. McGavin,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Beachy is worried that basic research could take a back seat to short-term goals as defined by the White House.—
Scott Neuman,
NPR,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
To go with his ancestral claims, Church, who had been drawing obsessively since early childhood, also inherited an artistic mantle.—
Sebastian Smee,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
-
Moscow did not immediately acknowledge Zelenskyy's claims regarding either strike.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
3 May 2026
Noun
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The city has banned an arm in common use for lawful purposes by law-abiding citizens.—
Shelly Bradbury,
Denver Post,
4 May 2026
-
The information provided is for educational purposes and should not be construed as financial, investment or trading advice.—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
4 May 2026
Noun
-
According to evidence presented at trial, Zhu and his associates imported cheap COVID-19 tests from China, then repackaged and resold them under false pretenses.—
Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
6 May 2026
-
Maybe Thalia had come to Gilead under false pretenses and gotten caught.—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
6 May 2026
Noun
-
Instead of simply accepting defeat, the United States upscales its ambitions to establish a permanent presence on the lunar surface.—
Richard Edwards,
Space.com,
1 May 2026
-
Meanwhile, the unceasing churn of clothing, footwear and accessories depletes soils, poisons the water, pollutes the air, drives deforestation, accelerates biodiversity loss and generates runaway planet-warming emissions that undermine brands’ lofty environmental ambitions.—
Jasmin Malik Chua,
Footwear News,
1 May 2026
Noun
-
Liverpool have revised plans to increase ticket prices following protests and lengthy discussions with the club’s supporters’ board.—
Gregg Evans,
New York Times,
7 May 2026
-
Letter writer blames sister-in-law for brother’s non-Jewish funeral plans.—
R. Eric Thomas,
Washington Post,
7 May 2026
Noun
-
One of the association’s key aims is to serve as a platform for the exchange of ideas, business strategies, and improvements.—
Marlen Bartsch,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Trump’s first term was marked—and, in the view of those closest to him, limited—by its dependence on Administration officials who were, at best, skeptical of his aims.—
Benjamin Wallace-Wells,
New Yorker,
26 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pretensions.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pretensions. Accessed 7 May. 2026.
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