pretended

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.

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

“He looks like Eliot Ness,” the president declared of his veep in a televised Cabinet meeting in May while high-level administration officials pretended to laugh.

From Salon • Jun. 5, 2026

I nodded, but I’d have been lying if I said I hadn’t come for the lynx—or pretended that the distant views through the scope on day one had been entirely satisfying.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 30, 2026

“Not only has he not come up with a plan, he has pretended we don’t need one,” said Patrick Murphy, a professor of public affairs at the University of San Francisco.

From Los Angeles Times • May 3, 2026

We kind of just kept eating, pretended it didn’t happen, and hoped the bad mood would go away.

From "Wayward Creatures" by Dayna Lorentz