pretend to (something)
idiom
formal
: to claim that one has (something, such as a quality or ability)
She pretends to a deep religious devotion, but I don't believe her.
—usually used in negative statementsI don't pretend to any expertise in these matters.
Examples of pretend to (something) in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
When Trump is abducted by aliens from Mars, Ivanka asks Chuan to pretend to be him to keep the nation together amid a trade war with China.
—
Chris Lau, CNN Money, 14 July 2025
Kurt’s key takeaways Scam emails that pretend to be from Amazon are getting more realistic, but there are still clear ways to protect yourself.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 2 July 2025
We’re done funding companies that pretend to stand for something while doing nothing.
—Jessica Guynn, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025
That approach brings us back to the concern that AGI will pretend to be on good behavior.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 7 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for pretend to (something)
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Chris Lau, CNN Money, 14 July 2025
Kurt’s key takeaways Scam emails that pretend to be from Amazon are getting more realistic, but there are still clear ways to protect yourself.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 2 July 2025
We’re done funding companies that pretend to stand for something while doing nothing.
—Jessica Guynn, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025
That approach brings us back to the concern that AGI will pretend to be on good behavior.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 7 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for pretend to (something)
Cite this Entry
“Pretend to (something).” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pretend%20to%20%28something%29. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share