pretended 1 of 2

adjective

pri-ˈten-dəd How to pronounce pretended (audio)
Definition of pretendednext
1
as in mock
lacking in natural or spontaneous quality he shows a pretended affection for his girlfriend's cat

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in fake
not being or expressing what one appears to be or express hoped that his pretended interest in classical music would impress the boss

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

pretended

2 of 2

verb

past tense of pretend
1
as in posed
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

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2
as in assumed
to present a false appearance of as if I would ever pretend illness just to take off a day from work

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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 pretended
Verb
Prosecutors said Navarrete then drove to his parents’ home with his children and pretended to discovered his parents were dead. — Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 19 Oct. 2026 Tremble’s taunt after his second TD was already coming in for teasing by his teammates postgame, as running back Chuba Hubbard (120 rushing yards, one TD) pretended to be a reporter and asked Tremble about it. — Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 18 Oct. 2026 Pressed — surely she’s pretended to be sick to get out of a party? — Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026 The long drives were buoyed by bold play calling, with the Broncos going 4-for-4 on fourth downs, including a trick play in which Madsen pretended to fumble the ball before connecting with sophomore receiver AJ Jones for 7 yards and a first down. — Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 11 Oct. 2026 To get the tortoise’s DNA material, Jonathan’s veterinarian Joe Hollins pretended to feed him, wedged his mouth open with a hard glove and scraped cells from inside his cheek. — Jacek Krywko, Scientific American, 7 Oct. 2026 Russian forces were in the area; some even pretended to be news crews. — David Folkenflik, NPR, 4 Oct. 2026 To offset the von Hatz security leak, another OSS team in Istanbul pretended to organize a fake Sparrow mission. — Literary Hub, 30 Sep. 2026 During his post-sack celebration, the star lineman pretended to unzip his pants and pee on the field. — Bailey Richards, PEOPLE, 26 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pretended
  1. mock
  2. fake
  3. posed
  4. assumed
  5. strained
  6. double
  7. acted
  8. simulated
Adjective
  • Other footage showed personnel practicing attacks against mock armored vehicles and defensive positions.
    — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 25 Oct. 2026
  • The Lakers star waved his hand in mock disgust toward Hachimura.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of mock
Adjective
  • In episode 4, Noah made up an elaborate ruse involving a fake friend’s wedding in Napa — a means of getting Joanne to wine country for a romantic weekend.
    — Julia Moore, PEOPLE, 22 Oct. 2026
  • The two fans came with their own props even though fake mustaches were given to fans at the entry gates.
    — Armando L. Sanchez, Chicago Tribune, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of fake
Verb
  • The hearing took place amid the intense debate surrounding the risks posed by advanced AI models.
    — Ian Thomas,Colleen McKown, CNBC, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Mose, a former Norwegian judge, said the intensifying attacks as this winter approaches raise serious concerns about the threats posed to civilians.
    — Edith M. Lederer, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of posed
Verb
  • Each has assumed a new place of influence within the Democratic Party over the last two years, filling a power vacuum created by President Joe Biden’s exit from the political stage.
    — David Sivak, The Washington Examiner, 28 Oct. 2026
  • Notably, Republican voters’ approval of Congress has dropped from 53% shortly after the GOP assumed control of Washington to 29% today.
    — Morgan Chalfant, semafor.com, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of assumed
Adjective
  • However, royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams told Fox News Digital that Harry's willingness to publicly discuss his strained family relationships only makes the royals more reluctant to extend an olive branch.
    — Stephanie Nolasco , Ashley Papa, FOXNews.com, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Other governments around the world are also feeling pressure because of high debt loads and strained budgets, including the United States.
    — Stan Choe, Los Angeles Times, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of strained
Adjective
  • By refining double magnetic resonance for a single atom, the team demonstrated a way to address these different magnetic components independently.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 28 Oct. 2026
  • Jackson Chourio had a single and double, improving to 10 for 20 in the Series.
    — Ronald Blum, Chicago Tribune, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of double
Verb
  • Police on Tuesday arrested a suspect in the arson attack that charred the historic city hall in Limoges, in central France, Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin said, adding that the person may not have acted alone.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Transitioning his rhetoric As a state House member, Talarico acted in line with LGBT activist groups’ priorities on multiple occasions.
    — Hudson Crozier, The Washington Examiner, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of acted
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
  • Sceye’s platform carried the equivalent of a 4G LTE base station for the demonstration, which simulated providing backup coverage in the case of an earthquake or similar large-scale disaster.
    — Jeremy Hsu, ArsTechnica, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of simulated

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pretend
pretended
pretender
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Cite this Entry

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

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