Thesaurus results for PRETENDS

pretends

verb

present tense third-person singular of pretend

as in poses

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

as in assumes

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

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 pretends At one point, though, Jon Hamm does the voice of the mayor but there’s a robot who pretends to be him and is essentially wearing a mayor-skin suit. — Marah Eakin, Vulture, 21 Aug. 2026 And Brand New Day pretends to tell that story, for about 20 minutes. — David Sims, The Atlantic, 30 July 2026 Ariane lies to him and pretends to be an experienced dame and never reveals her real name. — Air Mail, 18 July 2026 The show only pretends to be organized around romantic couples. — Lillian Fishman, New Yorker, 27 June 2026 The person on the phone pretends to be IT support and tries to convince the employee to install remote desktop software. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 13 June 2026 Scary Movie 6 spoofed the horror flick by turning the terrifying Christmas mall massacre scene into a laugh out loud moment with Cindy being present when Art the Clown pretends to be a mall Santa. — Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 10 June 2026 Pig-butchering scams, in which a stranger pretends to befriend you and then coaxes you into putting money into a cryptocurrency scam, don’t involve that same act now urgency. — Rob Pegoraro, PC Magazine, 1 June 2026 Elsa argues with her mother, Isabel doesn’t like to be questioned and pretends everything’s all right, while Amalia hangs with dodgy characters and makes claims that seem real only to her. — Murtada Elfadl, Variety, 25 May 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for pretends

Verb

Former Tropical Storm Edouard has been downgraded but still poses a flood risk to East Texas and the Houston area.

— Mateo Rosiles, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2026
Should there be heavy rainfall in the mountains, that poses a serious threat of flash floods, landslides and debris flow, according to Swain.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of poses

Verb

As the force gradually assumes responsibility for police patrols, Haitian police will be able to redeploy to support operations in Kenscoff, the international force said.

— Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 2 Sep. 2026
The problem is that the stock's valuation already assumes all of that keeps going, at a moment when the growth driver behind it (the AI-era power generation boom) is facing its first regulatory pushback.

— Tony Zhang, CNBC, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of assumes

Verb

Sabally’s younger sister Nyara, who plays for the Toronto Tempo, is yet to make her comeback from a calf injury, while Liberty’s Leonie Fiebich, another key player, is just back from a foot injury.

— ABC News, ABC News, 1 Sep. 2026
In adults, the hormone plays a role in blood sugar control, bone density and muscle growth.

— Lori Youmshajekian, Scientific American, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of plays

Verb

The upcoming 2027 model will also be the first to feature E-Shift, an optional system that simulates the gear shifts of a combustion engine.

— Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 18 Aug. 2026
The offense works on the underneath passing tree while the defense simulates coverage rules and passing off cross-under routes.

— Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of simulates

Verb

The plastic acts as a protective barrier to the thin skin, extending the life of your English cucumbers by up to a week.

— Kait Hanson, Southern Living, 2 Sep. 2026
This ceramic film acts as a permanent barrier between the liquid metal and the underlying steel structure.

— Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of acts

Verb

Linney’s Guardian tries to draw out some resentment from her new candidate, but John expresses (or feigns) sympathy for Hal, who was betrayed by his father figure Sinestro, an experience John likens to his own complicated upbringing.

— Siddhant Adlakha, Vulture, 31 Aug. 2026
The heavy side part feigns an almost asymmetrical look, which offsets heaviness on the ends and frames the face in a fun way.

— Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 16 June 2026

Definition of feigns

Browse Nearby Words

pretending

pretends

pretense

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Pretends.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pretends. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of pretends

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

apiary

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Games & Quizzes