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

After the 2025 fires in southern California even pols like Mr. Newsom at least pretended to acknowledge the need to manage the Golden State’s landscape aggressively to reduce fire risk.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 10, 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

One even pretended to be living with HIV.

From BBC • Apr. 15, 2026

I told him good night and pretended to go back to the camp, but when he was out of sight, I slipped into the darkness of the trees.

From "Rump: The (Fairly) True Story of Rumpelstilskin" by Liesl Shurtliff