feign

The difference: Your guests won’t have to feign enthusiasm after the thirtieth photo of you “holding up” the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 4, 2025

At first, Lanthimos uses her character as a spoof of lady-bosses who feign enlightenment while reigning over the same bad workplace.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 23, 2025

I would feign shock or dismay at its popularity if I didn’t already know that we are a nation of self-serving masochists.

From Salon ● Apr. 8, 2025

For now, though, there is no need to feign graciousness—and there is no need to pretend that any of this is or ever will be truly OK.

From Slate ● Nov. 6, 2024

To while away the time, and perhaps to feign indifference until the deciding game was finished, Bobby began playing speed chess with a few of his chess friends.

From "Endgame" by Frank Brady

She feigns outrage loudly, according to people who like her, and yells maniacally, according to people who don’t.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 5, 2026

Like everything else in the movie, it’s artifice that feigns at being fact.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 26, 2025

Lydia, who craves to be seen by her family, feigns craving death because of her relationship with Barbara and Adam, who live in the afterlife.

From Salon ● Sep. 11, 2024

At one point in the clip, he hides in a bullet train toilet and feigns illness when confronted by a conductor.

From BBC ● Oct. 25, 2023

Slant watches over us all; Charles feigns sleep.

From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves" by M.T. Anderson

She fell to the ground and, according to her account, feigned death.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 13, 2026

Back when he was in first grade, Bennett feigned illness so he could get sent home and spend some time with his dad, whom he hadn’t seen in two weeks.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 12, 2026

I feigned disappointment but secretly sighed with relief: The last time I’d come, the pod’s door hadn’t closed, spiking my adrenaline even more during the seven-minute trip across the valley.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2025

When a press release informed me Howie had scheduled a brief homecoming, I feigned a news hook: If I could interview him by phone, I would write a feature about "Stuck Rubber Baby."

From Salon ● Feb. 9, 2025

I handed him a paper saying Emilika was my cousin with all the feigned confidence in the world.

From "The Light in Hidden Places" by Sharon Cameron

In some cases, bureaucrats resorted to ostentatious gestures and outright fraud, feigning adherence to unrealistic targets and masking underperformance.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 28, 2026

Spaeny: It’s what every actor is thinking except they’re feigning ...

From Los Angeles Times ● May 27, 2026

However, the “Hannah Montana” star did not end her mockery there—going on to accuse Cooper of feigning innocence about the proximity of their properties.

From MarketWatch ● Mar. 31, 2026

Crisis actor is a derogatory label used by conspiracy theorists to allege that someone is deceiving the public -- feigning injuries or death -- while posing as a victim of a tragic event.

From Barron's ● Dec. 16, 2025

My fingers shake, as feigning nonchalance is hard with Mom scrutinizing me.

From "Saints and Misfits" by S.K. Ali