1
as in to pose
to take on a false or deceptive appearance
I pretended that I didn't care that my ex had a new man in her life
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in to assume
to present a false appearance of
as if I would ever pretend illness just to take off a day from work
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in faux
being such in appearance only and made with or manufactured from usually cheaper materials
if you were to see the movie's pretend jewels in real life, you wouldn't be fooled for a minute
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in imaginary
not real and existing only in the imagination
it's just a pretend gun, so please pretend that I got you and play dead
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of pretend
Michael Kan, PCMAG, 13 Feb. 2025
Police entered their cell on Halloween, pretending to be Klansmen.
—Essence, 13 Feb. 2025
Pamela Brill, Parents, 24 Oct. 2024
Your chef-in-training will relish cooking up a feast in this pretend kitchen that has all the modern-day conveniences and then some.
—Pamela Brill, Parents, 24 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for pretend
Verb
The scams often arrive as random SMS texts or social media messages that pretend to come from a friendly stranger.
—Adjective
Your little shutterbug will love playing amateur photographer with a pretend camera that does much more than snap pictures.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for pretend
Verb
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An earlier criminal complaint also included a selfie of four men posing with luxury items –– this time from Burrow’s Cincinnati home in December.—
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With the EUROs 2024 posing a massive opportunity to drive engagement, Mail Sport set a bold goal: to maintain relevance as a go-to source for fans without relying on traditional IP assets.—
Verb
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Thankfully, the next two outings represent significant improvements, assuming the goal actually is to deliver a plausible extension of the Suits-iverse.—
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The post-1945 European vision assumes that land-grabs and military rivalries are as antiquated and distasteful as a spiked helmet.—
Adjective
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Bertrand wore an oversize faux fur coat and a green gradient suit jacket from KidSuper.—
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The Koolaburra Ugg Milos resemble other Ugg slippers on our list with the soft suede upper and faux fur lining.—
Adjective
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That’s when Cora fired up some kind of imaginary jukebox inside his head and proceeded to dance the day away.—
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Gradually, an imaginary narrative for the property took shape.—
Verb
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Players who for years were starved for the chance to play meaningful games on behalf of their country now would be able to face-off for international bragging rights.—
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Also joining the guys as support are Katelyn Tarver and Stephen Kramer Glickman, who played Jo and Gustavo on Big Time Rush during the show’s run from 2009 to 2013.—
Verb
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The researchers simulated early Earth and how its primordial environment affected the color of the planet’s oceans.—
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The Alabama Rig An Alabama rig simulates an entire school of baitfish by bringing five or more swimbaits together in one seamless rig.—
Adjective
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Here are the best fake car ads and parodies celebrating SNL's 50th anniversary.—
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Read More: The 22 Most Controversial Saturday Night Live Moments Best Ad Break Over the show’s five decades, SNL has created ads for some memorably fake products.—
Adjective
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Created by Chris Romano and Eric Falconer, who also are believed to be back for the sequel, Blue Mountain State is about a fictitious university, Blue Mountain State, and its football team, the Mountain Goats.—
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Last month, its editor revealed that A.I. had been used to tweak the Hungarian accents of its stars, Adrien Brody and Felicity Jones, and to create fictitious architectural plans and buildings for the closing retrospective of the main character’s career.—
Cite this Entry
“Pretend.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pretend. Accessed 27 Feb. 2025.
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