MAKING A PRETENSE Synonyms: 30 Similar Words

making a pretense

phrase

present participle of make a pretense

as in pretending

to take on a false or deceptive appearance He didn't even make a pretense of appreciating her artwork.

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Recent Examples of Synonyms for making a pretense

making a show

Phrase

Daemon charged his queen with making a show of strength for all the realm to see, and her response is to once again visit the High Septon and beg for an anointing.

— Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 10 Aug. 2026
And despite making a show of clashing with the Pentagon over concerns about the safe deployment of its AI systems, Anthropic also let the military use its Claude AI to select targets in Iran.

— Frank Landymore, Futurism, 5 Aug. 2026

Definition of making a show

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making amends (for)

making a pretense

making a scene

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“Making a pretense.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/making%20a%20pretense. Accessed 13 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of making a pretense

phrase

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