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
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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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of dissemble
You’d like your government to tell you the truth, and the government dissembled repeatedly after the raid about what the rules of engagement were.
—
Aryeh Neier, The New York Review of Books, 3 Mar. 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
That same week, Altman made headlines at a Senate hearing by asking to be regulated — wowing senators who were more accustomed to tech CEOs dissembling or responding evasively to questions.
—Brian Fung, CNN, 14 Feb. 2024
That year, with 23,000 U.S. troops in Vietnam, the administration was still dissembling about the American role in the war.
—Trip Gabriel, New York Times, 2 Feb. 2024
See All Example Sentences for dissemble
Aryeh Neier, The New York Review of Books, 3 Mar. 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
That same week, Altman made headlines at a Senate hearing by asking to be regulated — wowing senators who were more accustomed to tech CEOs dissembling or responding evasively to questions.
—Brian Fung, CNN, 14 Feb. 2024
That year, with 23,000 U.S. troops in Vietnam, the administration was still dissembling about the American role in the war.
—Trip Gabriel, New York Times, 2 Feb. 2024
See All Example Sentences for dissemble
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dissemble
Verb
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Dad is the one who's going to pretend to be a predator stalking the child and pretending to be a big, scary monster.—
Hannah Nwoko,
Parents,
22 July 2025
-
Upon spotting himself on the big screen, Cohen immediately reached over and pretended to make out with a shocked Cooper.—
Emlyn Travis Published,
EW.com,
22 July 2025
Verb
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Complex Interagency Incident Management Team 9 (Gould) assumed command of the Marble Complex at 6:00 p.m. on July 5, 2025.—
CA WILDFIRE BOT,
Sacbee.com,
14 July 2025
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Experts have long assumed that the instrument had been destroyed or lost to history.—
Asia London Palomba,
Smithsonian Magazine,
14 July 2025
Verb
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Much like a band might bring in a touring musician to test chemistry and capability before offering a permanent spot, businesses are using interim roles to simulate the pressure of the top job.—
Rhett Power,
Rolling Stone,
15 July 2025
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Miami’s public-school system, one of the largest in the country, has made Gemini available to more than 100,000 high schoolers; teachers there are using it to simulate interactions with historical figures and provide immediate feedback on assignments.—
Lila Shroff,
The Atlantic,
14 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dissemble.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dissemble. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.
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