pretend
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:
Alex was 19 at the time, but says to protect herself she "felt the need" to pretend to be younger when she met Leto.
From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026
For you to pretend they are and honor this man with your presence is unforgivable.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 18, 2026
Let’s not pretend those were the good old days.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 13, 2026
Even worse, the people ravaging the sport don’t even have the decency to pretend to like bowling.
From Salon ● Jul. 3, 2026
As soon as the shutter clicks on the photographer’s camera my pretend smile disappears.
From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse
"He is not happy, he pretends he is happy," said Tamim.
From Barron's ● Jun. 17, 2026
Rhonda had fallen victim to what is known as impersonation scam, where a fraudster pretends to be from a bank or other financial institution.
From BBC ● Mar. 16, 2026
He is not the muscular president he pretends to be on television.
From Slate ● Jan. 23, 2026
When an actor pretends to be hypnotized by another actor on film, the urge to applaud is not overwhelming.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 13, 2025
He runs to the garbage can, picks it up, and pretends to gag and vomit.
From "Blended" by Sharon M. Draper
Rand pretended to be me and I pretended to be Rand,” he says.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 14, 2026
He opened the door to the briefing room a crack, drew a laugh as he pretended to sneak in, made a short announcement and took questions.
From Salon ● Jun. 12, 2026
It’s been widely reported that in the ’80s and ’90s, Trump sometimes pretended to be his own publicist, John Barron, when talking to reporters.
From Slate ● Jun. 11, 2026
Dad pretended nothing had gone wrong, which felt worse than being chewed out.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 9, 2026
“When these two pretended to be lost in the halls of the middle school, only two students dropped everything to offer assistance.”
From "Shine!" by J.J. and Chris Grabenstein
Salzburg, Austria — “Optimism doesn’t mean pretending everything is fine,” the Belarusian flutist and political activist Maria Kalesnikava said in this year’s Salzburg Festival keynote address.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026
I studied the pastries while pretending not to listen: tea-infused buns knotted with candied citrus, laminated pastry layered with spiced cream cheese, craggy oat muffins dotted with boysenberry preserves.
From Salon ● Aug. 4, 2026
Nobody in Austin is pretending this is easy or cheap.
From Slate ● Jul. 31, 2026
And now a warning: This could also be an elaborate scam — a scammer pretending to be from Fidelity.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 31, 2026
I know he knows Tūtū is there, but he’s pretending he doesn’t.
From "Clairboyance" by Kristiana Kahakauwila
Vocabulary lists containing pretend
"Eleven"
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"Eleven," Vocabulary from the short story
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"Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" by Lewis Carroll, Chapters 1–3
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