as in pretending
to take on a false or deceptive appearance
she's not half as innocent as she likes to let on
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Recent Examples of letting on
What happens next could matter far more than either side is letting on.
—
Mark Minevich, Fortune, 12 Mar. 2026
But if any such expansion plans are in the works, Goldman isn’t letting on.
—Josef Adalian, Vulture, 30 Oct. 2025
But according to renowned astrologer Chani Nicholas, the implications are more complicated than certain media may be letting on.
—Quispe López, Them., 9 Sep. 2025
Mark Minevich, Fortune, 12 Mar. 2026
But if any such expansion plans are in the works, Goldman isn’t letting on.
—Josef Adalian, Vulture, 30 Oct. 2025
But according to renowned astrologer Chani Nicholas, the implications are more complicated than certain media may be letting on.
—Quispe López, Them., 9 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for letting on
pretending
Verb
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Because good ex-etiquette isn’t about pretending the past didn’t happen.—
Jann Blackstone,
Boston Herald,
26 Apr. 2026
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At this point, the NFL is not even pretending the draft is about the handful of prospects sitting in the green room.—
Dan Zaksheske OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
26 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Letting on.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/letting%20on. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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