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
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Recent Examples of pretense
And Terry Tucker’s Boxing Gym presents the high stakes of Hemingway’s bullring, an existential arena where pretense and fakery are violently exposed.
—
Book Marks
june 5, Literary Hub, 5 June 2025
But his heart remained on the South Side, where fans appreciated him for his workmanlike approach, his quick pace and a lack of pretense.
—Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 11 July 2025
The federal indictment alleged that Combs and his associates lured female victims, often under the pretense of a romantic relationship.
—Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2025
The federal indictment alleges that Combs and his associates lured two of the women under the pretense of a romantic relationship.
—Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 30 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for pretense
Book Marks
june 5, Literary Hub, 5 June 2025
But his heart remained on the South Side, where fans appreciated him for his workmanlike approach, his quick pace and a lack of pretense.
—Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 11 July 2025
The federal indictment alleged that Combs and his associates lured female victims, often under the pretense of a romantic relationship.
—Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2025
The federal indictment alleges that Combs and his associates lured two of the women under the pretense of a romantic relationship.
—Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 30 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for pretense
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pretense
Noun
-
From our review: Tessa Van den Broeck, a newcomer, plays Julie with zero affectation.—
The New York Times,
New York Times,
28 Mar. 2025
-
No fussy affectations, just a deliberate tamping down of his more charismatic qualities.—
A.A. Dowd,
Rolling Stone,
25 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Gately eventually sued Measures in small claims court, and won, but has not been able to get the funds from Measures.—
Caitlin Huston,
HollywoodReporter,
15 July 2025
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Arguably, the most famous sub-Neptune is K2-18b, an exoplanet which recently made global headlines due to the claim that dimethyl sulfide had been detected in its atmosphere.—
Bruce Dorminey,
Forbes.com,
15 July 2025
Noun
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Putin’s arrogance in wanting total Ukrainian surrender could prove his downfall, if only Trump sticks to his position.—
Daniel Fried,
Time,
15 July 2025
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The arrogance wasn’t hers alone; many people have tried to assign the Tully monster a place in the tree of life since it was first discovered 70 years ago.—
Cody Cottier,
Discover Magazine,
8 July 2025
Noun
-
Instead of Jimmy Kimmel, a memorable host in the recent past with a keen appreciation for puncturing pretensions, there is Conan O’Brien who, while familiar, remains an unknown quantity in how politically barbed his opening monologue might be.—
Stephen Schaefer,
Boston Herald,
25 Feb. 2025
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Each installment was a chance for a new joke, a new observation—about fashion, dating, public restrooms, artistic pretensions, being mistaken for a man—in an era when popular depictions of lesbian experience were rare.—
Charlie Tyson,
New Yorker,
4 June 2025
Noun
-
The Oak Ridge Boys, Reba McEntire, Jeannie C. Riley, Connie Smith and the duo of Charlie Louvin and Melba Montgomery were among the acts who cut her songs.—
Marcus K. Dowling,
The Tennessean,
22 July 2025
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Since the act became law on Jan. 5, 2025, the agency has received more than 278,000 new claims from people with pensions from work not covered by Social Security and has processed 92% of these, the SSA said.—
Mike Snider,
USA Today,
21 July 2025
Noun
-
Being the world's most valuable company is not a sign of permanent superiority.—
Nur Hikmah Md Ali,
CNBC,
10 July 2025
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What To Know According to a French intelligence report shared with the Associated Press, Chinese diplomats worked to publicize the downing of Rafale jets during the conflict while promoting the superiority of Chinese fighter aircraft.—
Micah McCartney,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 July 2025
Noun
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The show can be watched on CBS or streamed on Paramount+.—
Dina Kaur,
AZCentral.com,
21 July 2025
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The show also featured a regular segment on missing pets, in this case a dilute calico with a stripe down its nose.—
Frank Langfitt,
NPR,
20 July 2025
Noun
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Finally, level 3 asset fair values must be calculated based on estimations and assumptions based on the latest available data on the measurement date.—
Tomas Milar,
Forbes.com,
21 July 2025
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But if Trump does push ahead with 30% tariffs on EU imports, there is a broad assumption the ECB will cut rates in response.—
Leonie Kidd,
CNBC,
20 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pretense.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pretense. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
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