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Definitions

pretend

[pri-tend] / prɪˈtɛnd /




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.

See Examples For:

And this "enabled the club to pretend that such funds represented operating income".

From BBC ● Sep. 29, 2026

Herzog doesn’t have the answer to that question, and he doesn’t pretend to.

From Salon ● Sep. 28, 2026

In short, pretend work is now standing in for real work.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 26, 2026

We loved getting paid for it, but we hated that they used actors to pretend they were us, when we were just as smart and talented as anybody that was being put on the screen.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 24, 2026

I turn away from them, pretend like I’m putting on deodorant, and slip the mysterious postcard from my waistband.

From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller

In other words, European rearmament will take time, and nobody even pretends that European troops are today fully prepared to replace American brigades.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 5, 2026

"He is not happy, he pretends he is happy," said Tamim.

From Barron's ● Jun. 17, 2026

Under the blazing Vegas sun, giant billboards advertise "Live Enhanced" as the baritone voice of a sports announcer pretends to introduce British swimmer Ben Proud and other athletes.

From BBC ● May 23, 2026

The bot’s final product is exactly that: an essay that pretends to divulge, to confess, to promise, and to portray.

From Slate ● Mar. 20, 2026

“You be careful, now,” she says, and she kisses her palm and pretends to blow it in my direction.

From "Shouting at the Rain" by Lynda Mullaly Hunt

Holmes is the former billionaire CEO of Theranos who pretended she’d built a revolutionary blood testing machine to squeeze investors for a few dollars more.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 14, 2026

The mood was perhaps best summed up at the face-off, when Joshua smiled and pretended to tickle Fury's stomach.

From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026

He then pretended to board the old Air Force One, only to secretly switch planes by hiding in a refueling truck, due to security threats.

From Barron's ● Sep. 9, 2026

Instead, Owens pretended there are numerous holes in the case.

From Salon ● Sep. 8, 2026

We all pretended that we didn’t hear her and dove beneath the surface.

From "The Bletchley Riddle" by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin

The phone call had come from Amacher—the man now complaining the situation has been blown out of proportion—who said he had called the center, pretending to be a member of Talarico’s family.

From Slate ● Oct. 16, 2026

Anthropic’s model was conducting a test involving interactions with randomly selected websites when it submitted the tip pretending to be someone who might have information about an unsolved case, police said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026

El-Sayed has figured out how to talk to the people who love Fox without pretending that the network is something it isn’t.

From Salon ● Oct. 8, 2026

It’s more money for more stuff, when you should be at least pretending to care about the future.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 7, 2026

The nerve of him, to go on pretending he was not Edward Ashton!

From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood


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