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Showing results for pretense.
Definitions

pretense

[pri-tens, pree-tens] / prɪˈtɛns, ˈpri tɛns /


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 is so strange to see serious people pretending to be doing serious work in this serious place, when all pretense of intellectual seriousness has fallen away.

From Slate • Dec. 17, 2025

She had been through life’s fires and knew that when it’s a fit, it should not be based on any false pretense.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 12, 2025

Ironically, the situation now is a bastard version of one reform favored by free market types: paying athletes without any pretense that they are real students.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 24, 2025

The question then becomes: Will fans still tune into college games when there’s no pretense the players are students?

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 24, 2025

My mom gave up the pretense that we’d ever own a house or even find an apartment with more than one bedroom.

From "The Sun Is Also a Star" by Nicola Yoon




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