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:
Let’s not pretend those were the good old days.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 13, 2026
I wouldn’t say anyone’s asking for this, but we want to do some little wish fulfillment, or just live in a world where you can pretend that this is happening.
From Slate ● Jul. 12, 2026
Here's the secret: pretend you're making it for someone else.
From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026
“It is low volatility until it is not. The trick is not to pretend that intervention cannot happen. It is to avoid picking up nickels in front of it.”
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 2, 2026
Others gape or pretend not to watch as Caesar returns the salute.
From "Will’s Race for Home" by Jewell Parker Rhodes
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
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
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
Then he pretends to bite into an invisible sandwich.
From "The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl" by Stacy McAnulty
Rand pretended to be me and I pretended to be Rand,” he says.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 14, 2026
Hine often donned disguises or pretended to be inspecting a factory.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 1, 2026
Then she grabbed her Bible, pretended to flip through it and said, “Let me just check. Yes!”
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
I pretended to be a silly girl who has nothing better to do after school.
From "The (Mostly) True Story of Cleopatra's Needle" by Dan Gutman
It has pesto, not because you are pretending it is August, but because some part of August was worth saving.
From Salon ● Jul. 11, 2026
Take Friday's five hours of limbo, when Fifa first decided to change the kick-off time of England's last-16 tie against Mexico, then did a U-turn, while pretending it didn't happen.
From BBC ● Jul. 6, 2026
“Many Italians are pretending it’s not really happening.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 4, 2026
"There is a possibility that bad actors may claim usernames... and message other users while pretending to be someone they are not," the English-language daily quoted a senior government official as saying.
From Barron's ● Jul. 2, 2026
“Girl, I am wounded. How you gonna doubt me like that?” she says, pretending to be emotionally distressed.
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
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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