dissemble

verb

di-ˈsem-bəl How to pronounce dissemble (audio)
Definition of dissemblenext
1
as in to pretend
to present a false appearance of he dissembled happiness at the news that his old girlfriend was getting married—to someone else

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in to dissimulate
to take on a false or deceptive appearance children learn to dissemble at a surprisingly early age

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of dissemble With his multi-instrumentalist bandmates, PJ Moore and co-songwriter Robert Bell, Buchanan zooms into these exchanges to prolong them or dissembles them into jagged pieces that leave the bigger picture to us. — Sam Sodomsky, Pitchfork, 1 Feb. 2026 Authorities were forced to dissemble the back deck in order to rescue some of the pups that were beneath, according to the Strong Island Animal Rescue League, who assisted with the efforts. — David Matthews, New York Daily News, 7 Aug. 2025 Building trust in companies and their leaders isn’t easy, given many decades of dissembling. — Steve Denning, Forbes.com, 6 July 2025 Pushing back on reporters, at the time Scher often dissembled and appeared to brush aside concerns about what was clearly an increasingly out-of-control situation. — Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 19 July 2024 See All Example Sentences for dissemble
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dissemble
  1. pretend
  2. assume
  3. simulate
Verb
  • Smart did not enter pleas to charges of being armed, or pretending to be armed, in a way that may cause fear and with making an unlawful threat.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Lee uses this to his advantage, pretending to be a pidgin-speaking Chinese immigrant to protect himself from white people’s suspicion and mistrust.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of pretend
Verb
  • Figures assume a married, two-earner couple with one child earning $99,999 and are not adjusted for inflation.
    — Martie Bowser, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Walczak’s estimates assume local governments raise tax rates enough to fully replace the lost revenue, based on state property records for every parcel in Florida.
    — Max Klaver, Miami Herald, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of assume
Verb
  • This testing simulated the extreme temperatures, shaking and even the sounds that the spacecraft will experience from launch to landing.
    — Chelsea Gohd, Space.com, 23 Oct. 2026
  • The third stage, Jalan said, uses digital twins that simulate scenarios across more variables than a human team can work through, producing action plans in hours rather than weeks.
    — Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of simulate

Browse Nearby Words

dissed
dissemble
dissembled
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Cite this Entry

“Dissemble.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dissemble. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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