as in fraud
one who makes false claims of identity or expertise
it turns out that the guy who claimed to work for a modeling agency was just a pretender
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pretender
But for those trying to fill out their brackets this week, here are the Big Ten’s contenders and pretenders heading into March Madness.
—
Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 16 Mar. 2025
That’s where discipline separates professionals from pretenders.
—Jim Osman, Forbes.com, 25 May 2025
Sorting the contenders from pretenders Here’s a quick rundown of where every team stands after the Jets eked out a Game 5 win over the upstart Blues last night in whiteout Winnipeg.
—James Mirtle, New York Times, 1 May 2025
The speed with which this group develops chemistry and finds that star could determine where the Crimson Tide fall on the spectrum between contender and pretender.
—Cj Moore, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pretender
Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 16 Mar. 2025
That’s where discipline separates professionals from pretenders.
—Jim Osman, Forbes.com, 25 May 2025
Sorting the contenders from pretenders Here’s a quick rundown of where every team stands after the Jets eked out a Game 5 win over the upstart Blues last night in whiteout Winnipeg.
—James Mirtle, New York Times, 1 May 2025
The speed with which this group develops chemistry and finds that star could determine where the Crimson Tide fall on the spectrum between contender and pretender.
—Cj Moore, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pretender
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pretender
Noun
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Southeast Asia has become a global epicenter of cyber scams, where high-tech fraud meets human trafficking.—
Sydney Lake,
Fortune,
14 July 2025
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Always Active These Cookies and SDKs are required for Service functionality, including security and fraud prevention, and to enable any purchasing capabilities.—
Dylan Butts,
CNBC,
14 July 2025
Noun
-
In a market flooded with uniformity, a culture hellbent on sameness, and a luxury space increasingly shaped by dupes, secondhand finds, and super fakes, working with an artist can be a refreshing alternative, making the object feel less like a purchase and more like an heirloom.—
Brett Braley,
Robb Report,
18 June 2025
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And not just shooting the shot, but using it to create space for my teammates or using a shot fake to create a different shot for myself or a drive to kick.—
Roderick Boone,
Charlotte Observer,
28 June 2025
Noun
-
All sets come with two matching pillow shams to complete your bedroom look.—
Mariana Best,
Better Homes & Gardens,
7 July 2025
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The basics that all comforter sets include are the comforter and one pillow sham, with some sets including an extra sham.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
24 June 2025
Noun
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In May 2024, the Justice Department alleged that more than 300 U.S. companies had unknowingly hired impostors tied to North Korea for remote IT roles, resulting in at least $6.8 million in overseas revenue.—
Anuz Thapa,Hugh Son,
CNBC,
11 July 2025
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Twelve minutes later, Vance’s account was flagged as a possible impostor and taken down.—
Morgan Kromer,
The Washington Examiner,
19 June 2025
Noun
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Caricatured by Honoré Daumier and his lesser followers always as a mountebank, a charlatan, a circus clown, Louis Napoleon could normalize the extent of his outrages by the seeming harmlessness of his absurdities.—
Adam Gopnik,
New Yorker,
13 June 2025
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Where to watch Saw: Amazon Prime Video (to rent) 03 of 10 Saw X (2023) John Kramer ventures to Mexico for an experimental cancer treatment administered by money-hungry charlatans in this slick but not particularly inventive revival sequel, which takes place between the events of Saw and Saw II.—
Declan Gallagher,
EW.com,
10 May 2025
Noun
-
Caricatured by Honoré Daumier and his lesser followers always as a mountebank, a charlatan, a circus clown, Louis Napoleon could normalize the extent of his outrages by the seeming harmlessness of his absurdities.—
Adam Gopnik,
New Yorker,
13 June 2025
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With tariffs on pharmaceuticals, the mountebank of Mar-A-Lago wants to punish a small democracy of 5.3 million people that for the past 60 years has worked its way into the top table of drug research and production: Ireland.—
Kevin Rennie,
Hartford Courant,
29 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Tell that to the kids who have been hospitalized and died from measles, following quack Dr. Bobby’s Rx to avoid the shots.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
29 May 2025
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The Spare Room by Helen Garner This is a book about a woman, Helen, who decides to let her old friend, Nicola, who is dying of cancer, come and stay with her in Melbourne while Nicola sees a local quack doctor.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
21 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pretender.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pretender. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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