pretend(n = noun.act) make-believe - the enactment of a pretense; "it was just pretend"
is a kind of feigning, pretence, pretending, pretense, simulation
Derived form verb pretend₅

1.  pretend(v = verb.communication) affect, dissemble, feign, sham - make believe with the intent to deceive; "He feigned that he was ill"; "He shammed a headache"
is one way to belie, misrepresent
Derived forms noun pretender₂, noun pretending₁, noun pretense₁, noun pretense₂
Sample sentences: Somebody ----s something; Somebody ----s that CLAUSE; Somebody ----s to INFINITIVE

2.  pretend(v = verb.creation) act, dissemble - behave unnaturally or affectedly; "She's just acting"
Derived form noun pretender₂
Sample sentences: Somebody ----s; Somebody ----s something

3.  pretend(v = verb.possession) - put forward a claim and assert right or possession of; "pretend the title of King"
is one way to arrogate, claim, lay claim
Derived forms noun pretender₁, noun pretense₄, noun pretension₂
Sample sentences: Somebody ----s something

4.  pretend(v = verb.communication) guess, hazard, venture - put forward, of a guess, in spite of possible refutation; "I am guessing that the price of real estate will rise again"; "I cannot pretend to say that you are wrong"
is one way to speculate
Sample sentences: Somebody ----s something; Somebody ----s that CLAUSE

5.  pretend(v = verb.communication) make, make believe - represent fictitiously, as in a play, or pretend to be or act like; "She makes like an actress"
is one way to act, play, represent
Derived form noun pretend₁
Sample sentences: Somebody ----s that CLAUSE

6.  pretend(v = verb.communication) profess - state insincerely; "He professed innocence but later admitted his guilt"; "She pretended not to have known the suicide bomber"; "She pretends to be an expert on wine"
is one way to claim
Sample sentences: Somebody ----s something; Somebody ----s that CLAUSE

   pretend(s = adj.all) make-believe - imagined as in a play; "the make-believe world of theater"; "play money"; "dangling their legs in the water to catch pretend fish"

1.  To lay a claim to; to allege a title to; to claim. [1913 Webster]
"Chiefs shall be grudged the part which they pretend." [1913 Webster]

2.  To hold before, or put forward, as a cloak or disguise for something else; to exhibit as a veil for something hidden. [1913 Webster]
"Lest that too heavenly form, pretended
To hellish falsehood, snare them." [1913 Webster]

3.  To hold out, or represent, falsely; to put forward, or offer, as true or real (something untrue or unreal); to show hypocritically, or for the purpose of deceiving; to simulate; to feign; as, to pretend friendship. [1913 Webster]
"This let him know,
Lest, willfully transgressing, he pretend
Surprisal." [1913 Webster]

4.  To intend; to design; to plot; to attempt. [1913 Webster]
"Such as shall pretend
Malicious practices against his state." [1913 Webster]

5.  To hold before one; to extend. Spenser. [1913 Webster]

1.  To put in, or make, a claim, truly or falsely; to allege a title; to lay claim to, or strive after, something; -- usually with to. Swift. [1913 Webster]
"For to what fine he would anon pretend,
That know I well." [1913 Webster]

2.  To hold out the appearance of being, possessing, or performing; to profess; to make believe; to feign; to sham; as, to pretend to be asleep. Macaulay. [1913 Webster]

pretend, v. & adj.
--v.
1 tr. claim or assert falsely so as to deceive (pretend knowledge; pretended that they were foreigners).
2 tr. imagine to oneself in play (pretended to be monsters; pretended it was night).
3 tr. a profess, esp. falsely or extravagantly (does not pretend to be a scholar). b (as pretended adj.) falsely claim to be such (a pretended friend).
4 intr. (foll. by to) a lay claim to (a right or title etc.). b profess to have (a quality etc.).
--adj. colloq. pretended; in pretence (pretend money).

Etymology:
ME f. F pr{eacute}tendre or f. L (as PRAE-, tendere tent-, later tens- stretch)

VB  pretend, plead, allege, shelter oneself under the plea of, excuse, lend a color to, furnish a handle, make a pretext of, make a handle of, use as a plea, take one's stand upon, make capital out of, pretend, pretend, plead, allege, shelter oneself under the plea of, excuse, lend a color to, furnish a handle, make a pretext of, make a handle of, use as a plea, take one's stand upon, make capital out of, pretend.

VB  assert, make an assertion, have one's say, say, affirm, predicate, declare, state, protest, profess, put forth, put forward, advance, allege, propose, propound, enunciate, broach, set forth, hold out, maintain, contend, pronounce, pretend, depose, depone, aver, avow, avouch, asseverate, swear, make oath, take one's oath, make an affidavit, swear an affidavit, put in an affidavit, take one's Bible oath, kiss the book, vow, vitam impendere vero, swear till one is black in the face, swear till one is blue in the face, swear till all's blue, be sworn, call Heaven to witness, vouch, warrant, certify, assure, swear by bell book and candle, swear by, insist upon, take one's stand upon, emphasize, lay stress on, assert roundly, assert positively, lay down, lay down the law, raise one's voice, dogmatize, have the last word, rap out, repeat, reassert, reaffirm, announce, acknowledge, attest, adjure.

VB  be false, be a liar, speak falsely, tell a lie, lie, fib, lie like a trooper, swear false, forswear, perjure oneself, bear false witness, misstate, misquote, miscite, misreport, misrepresent, belie, falsify, pervert, distort, put a false construction upon (misinterpret), prevaricate, equivocate, quibble, palter, palter to the understanding, repondre en Normand, trim, shuffle, fence, mince the truth, beat about the bush, blow hot and cold, play fast and loose, garble, gloss over, disguise, give a color to, give a gloss, put a gloss, put false coloring upon, color, varnish, cook, dress up, embroider, varnish right and puzzle wrong, exaggerate, blague, invent, fabricate, trump up, get up, force, fake, hatch, concoct, romance, cry 'wolf!', dissemble, dissimulate, feign, assume, put on, pretend, make believe, play possum, play false, play a double game, coquet, act a part, play a part, affect, simulate, pass off for, counterfeit, sham, make a show of, malinger, say the grapes are sour, cant, play the hypocrite, sham Abraham, faire pattes de velours, put on the mask, clean the outside of the platter, lie like a conjuror, hand out false colors, hold out false colors, sail under false colors, commend the poisoned chalice to the lips, ambiguas in vulgum spargere voces, deceive.