pretender

Reza Pahlavi, the eldest son of the last shah of Iran and pretender to the throne, was a scheduled speaker, and the event was packed with Iranian monarchists.

From Slate ● Mar. 27, 2026

Like many previous movies about those who ply that physical trade, “Rental Family” explores the anguish of a paid pretender troubled by increasingly genuine feelings.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 20, 2025

And finally, the much expected transition, with the Italian legend stepping aside to take charge of the Brazil national team, and the young pretender Alonso returning to the Bernabeu as his successor.

From BBC ● May 9, 2025

Artists can sniff out genius from fakes, and Thanos sure looks like a parody of a pretender T.O.P. has encountered in the wild.

From Salon ● Jan. 5, 2025

“Honored ones, let me take this...this pretender, this prince of thieves, to the mines, where his words will be the only ones he hears in a long time.”

From "Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky" by Kwame Mbalia

Football is littered with any number of former pretenders to the Messi throne, all of whom have achieved and suffered varying degrees of success and adversity.

From BBC ● Jun. 4, 2026

The game was billed as a meeting between the club that wears the crown and the pretenders whose recent attempts to win the title have ended in the bitter disappointment of falling short.

From BBC ● Aug. 31, 2025

“Paul is building something special with a two-track career driven by his passion and an unrelenting quality that separates the pretenders from the contenders,” MLW Founder and CEO Court Bauer said.

From Seattle Times ● May 15, 2024

Friends turn into enemies and enemies become friends, among politicians and pretenders.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 20, 2024

“Opossums are the best dead pretenders in the world.”

From "Wishtree" by Katherine Applegate