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as in arrogance
an exaggerated sense of one's importance that shows itself in the making of excessive or unjustified claims
a woman full of pretension and pompousness
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in affectation
the quality or state of appearing or trying to appear more important or more valuable than is the case
the pretension of that French restaurant is more than I can bear
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in purpose
something that one hopes or intends to accomplish
has serious pretensions of becoming a writer
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of pretension
The upshot: a $190-million (some reports place the budget closer to $200 million) jukebox musical with seeming art-house pretensions whose odds of justifying its cost now seem remote.
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Chris Lee, Vulture, 7 Oct. 2024
The past month in Lebanon, like the past year in Gaza, has demonstrated that Israel’s leaders have no idealistic pretensions about establishing a new political order in Lebanon or in the Strip.
—Mohanad Hage Ali, Foreign Affairs, 1 Nov. 2024
The chief theme, of course, is art itself, which wafts into pretension all too easily.
—Stephanie Bunbury, Deadline, 24 Sep. 2024
The entire project seems more a realization of Guadagnino’s artistic pretensions than anything else.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 12 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for pretension 
Chris Lee, Vulture, 7 Oct. 2024
The past month in Lebanon, like the past year in Gaza, has demonstrated that Israel’s leaders have no idealistic pretensions about establishing a new political order in Lebanon or in the Strip.
—Mohanad Hage Ali, Foreign Affairs, 1 Nov. 2024
The chief theme, of course, is art itself, which wafts into pretension all too easily.
—Stephanie Bunbury, Deadline, 24 Sep. 2024
The entire project seems more a realization of Guadagnino’s artistic pretensions than anything else.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 12 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for pretension
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pretension
Noun
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Finneas, a musician in his own right, is both Eilish's brother and producer.Anna Kaufman, USA TODAY, 20 Dec. 2024
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The intervention came in response to a Deadline story, which explores how Rowling’s hardening rhetoric on transgender rights comes into conflict with diversity, equity, and inclusion policies at Warner Bros.Jake Kanter, Deadline, 19 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Kudos are also due Christian Probst as a prince without a drop of royal arrogance.Rob Hubbard, Twin Cities, 12 Dec. 2024
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Barack Obama came across to his foes as the principle of arrogance.Philip Elliott, TIME, 11 Dec. 2024
Noun
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According to Schrader, the key to Leonard Fife was simply stripping away all of Gere’s own mannerisms and affectations.Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 6 Dec. 2024
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Whereas past leading musical ladies have tried to contour their character to their own personality (consider, perhaps, when Emma Watson made sure Belle was wearing boots and not heels), Grande has taken Glinda’s affectations as her own.Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 27 Nov. 2024
Noun
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Paul’s purpose is to make the world a better place.Paul Klein, Forbes, 22 Dec. 2024
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Many theories exist as to the original purpose of Stonehenge, including a burial site, astronomical observatory, religious or worship site, some sort of gesture or symbol, or a place of ritual or healing.Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA TODAY, 21 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Vegetables too to some extent, although the jury seems in on the superiority of roasted root vegetables with their crispy, caramelized edges.Stacey Lastoe, Southern Living, 24 Nov. 2024
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Russian troops have been leveraging their numerical superiority to intensify pressure on Ukrainian defenses.David Faris, Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2024
Noun
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Under the pretense of protecting her family, Emilia sends her wife, Jessi (Gomez), and their children to Switzerland.Robert Lang, Deadline, 6 Dec. 2024
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When Avril moves in with a woman, resorting for a while to the pretense of separate bedrooms, this upheaval in their lives is barely mentioned.Charles McGrath, The Atlantic, 8 Oct. 2024
Noun
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The goal is something timeless and not overworked; understated glamour with ethereal panache.Calin Van Paris, Vogue, 26 Dec. 2024
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The goal is to provide people access to unique opportunities while empowering athletes to build their brands to a level that can create even more meaningful experiences and change.Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 26 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Keep your goals Measurable too, such as creating 2 social media captions per day, sending out 5 proposals per week, or generating 10 blog ideas per month.Sho Dewan, Forbes, 24 Dec. 2024
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Without advice from the United States and its allies, Kyiv has produced unrealistic ideas on ending the war—such as Zelensky’s victory plan announced this fall.Samuel Charap, Foreign Affairs, 24 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near pretension
Cite this Entry
“Pretension.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pretension. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.
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