How to Use feign in a Sentence

feign

verb
  • I would never feign illness just to get out of a test.
  • The play called for T.Y. Hilton to go in motion and feign an end-around run to the offense’s left.
    Stephen Holder, Indianapolis Star, 9 Oct. 2017
  • Confronted by the cop, the man squealed and feigned panic.
    Tribune News Service, oregonlive.com, 22 June 2019
  • Next, line the eye to feign big, fluttery giraffe eyes.
    Jessica Teich, USA TODAY, 26 Oct. 2017
  • The game was a farce for most of the evening: After a double in the sixth, Puig feigned napping at second base.
    Andy McCullough, latimes.com, 3 July 2018
  • The hognose snake will feign death by opening its mouth, rolling over on its back, and writhing around.
    Kelli Bender, PEOPLE.com, 11 June 2019
  • Ten minutes later, the bride walked down the aisle, feigning bliss.
    thehustle.co, 11 Feb. 2024
  • To do this, Bly feigned madness to gain entry as a patient.
    Michael Andor Brodeur, Washington Post, 22 Sep. 2023
  • The rest of us have to feign the copper, auburn, ginger, and strawberry shades.
    Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 21 Dec. 2023
  • The fact that Carolyn Privette feigned death is the true miracle.
    Nicholas Rondinone, courant.com, 18 Apr. 2018
  • If fight-or-flight fails, the instinct to feign death kicks in as an attempt to forestall the danger.
    Rachel Nuwer, Scientific American, 14 May 2024
  • See if the blue death-feigning beetle will do its possum trick in your open palm.
    Steve Johnson, chicagotribune.com, 26 June 2019
  • Who’s in there … Khloé, sure; not Kris, who feigns surprise at the ongoing feud later in the ep.
    Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 28 Sep. 2023
  • Contrast that with football, where players feign fouls to gain control of the ball.
    The Economist, 26 Sep. 2019
  • As Arnott probes the corruption, Kate feigns friendship with Gates.
    Mike Hughes, Cincinnati.com, 19 Apr. 2020
  • The Drexel senior feigned stepping up to stop Mosley on his way to the hoop then paused, turned and raced toward the baseline.
    Josh Verlin, Philly.com, 1 Feb. 2018
  • Texas Democrats knew what was coming—no one should feign surprise.
    Sam Russek, The New Republic, 17 May 2023
  • Those few who survived feigned death and crawled back to the village to warn the others, like my father, to run away and escape to the West.
    Jack Levine, Sun Sentinel, 15 June 2024
  • The powder, which is available in nine shades, subtly darkens the scalp to feign fullness.
    Ashley Weatherford, The Cut, 16 Oct. 2017
  • Even hopeless teams can at least feign optimism for a few weeks.
    Peter Abraham, BostonGlobe.com, 4 Feb. 2020
  • Auburn’s new coach feigned surprise by his team’s ability to run the football.
    Joseph Goodman | Jgoodman@al.com, al, 23 Aug. 2023
  • Anybody who feigns surprise at the racist rot in our midst has been wilfully blind.
    Yascha Mounk, Slate Magazine, 17 Aug. 2017
  • But while the Orioles were at bat in the eighth inning, Palmer put his hand to his throat and feigned choking — perhaps to ward off any evil vibes.
    Chris Kaltenbach, baltimoresun.com, 16 Aug. 2019
  • Hillary feigns outrage over Trump’s locker room trash talk.
    Jennifer Wright, Harper's BAZAAR, 26 Sep. 2018
  • Players flop to draw a foul or feign innocence (or even injury) to avoid one.
    Andrew Keh, New York Times, 5 July 2018
  • Quian Brown, McBride’s date, made his entrance after the actors feigned to be at brink of battle.
    Cassie Owens, Philly.com, 8 June 2018
  • And William has to feign still being a part of the throuple for political reasons.
    Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 20 June 2020
  • In one playful selfie, Harbour feigned a menacing face at his wife and put his hand in her face in the shape of a claw.
    Antonia Debianchi, Peoplemag, 27 Dec. 2023
  • His rage had been scary, but this utter indifference in the aftermath, which was not in the least feigned, produced in me a new kind of pain.
    Emily Witt, The New Yorker, 1 July 2024
  • Three-peat honors go to Emma Stone, with whom Gosling has feigned falling in love across multiple genres.
    Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 23 May 2024

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'feign.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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