pretense
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Shredded was the pretense that men’s Division I basketball and football players are amateurs—and the NCAA’s ability to regulate sports.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 29, 2026
Yet he did not muster even the pretense of evidence that they pose an “imminent threat.”
From Slate • Feb. 28, 2026
It was an uncompromising response without any pretense the administration would rely on independent investigations of the event, video of which quickly circulated online, gripping the nation.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 8, 2026
Five days earlier, at around 7 a.m., the couple had crossed the border into Kazakhstan in a hired Toyota Hiace van, under the pretense of taking a vacation.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 10, 2025
What was needed—what Emily needed—was a woman emancipated from pretense, a woman who could show herself to be a man.
From "Educated" by Tara Westover
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From Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.