as in pretends
to present a false appearance of
I would never feign illness just to get out of a test
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Recent Examples of feigns
Audrey Hudson, twenty-four, is a gifted battlefield surgeon who feigns muteness to comfort Carter Reynolds, a combat soldier deafened by an explosion.
—
Chang Che, New Yorker, 25 Apr. 2026
Someone who’s really living the Andrew Tate-like lifestyle Jacob only feigns is his bestie Cameron (Dylan Playfair).
—Dennis Harvey, Variety, 7 Aug. 2025
The second man with a flail steps forward and feigns a move.
—Miguel Torres, AZCentral.com, 16 May 2025
Chang Che, New Yorker, 25 Apr. 2026
Someone who’s really living the Andrew Tate-like lifestyle Jacob only feigns is his bestie Cameron (Dylan Playfair).
—Dennis Harvey, Variety, 7 Aug. 2025
The second man with a flail steps forward and feigns a move.
—Miguel Torres, AZCentral.com, 16 May 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for feigns
Verb
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In one snap, the foursome laughs as Crown Prince Christian pretends to grab his younger brother's neck.—
Janine Henni,
PEOPLE,
20 Apr. 2026
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This team is improved, has a deeper roster, no longer pretends Kris Bryant is a major league player and features more functional pitchers (No, seriously).—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
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When a single photon is sent through the wall, classical physics assumes that the photon will travel through either of the slits and reach the other side.—
Ameya Paleja,
Interesting Engineering,
23 Apr. 2026
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In the news discovery phase, the agenda-building theory assumes that issues arise in an interplay between media, politics, and society.—
Florian Wintterlin,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The facility is likely the only one in the world that can do full-load, bidirectional testing that simulates both grid conditions and variable data-center loads.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
29 Apr. 2026
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Ray tracing is a 3D rendering technology that simulates the behavior of light to produce realistic reflections and lighting effects.—
Will Greenwald,
PC Magazine,
27 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Feigns.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/feigns. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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