I. verb
COLLOCATIONS FROM CORPUS
■ ADVERB
even
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Some will even pretend to ignore it.
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I head east from Anamosa, feeling too shitty to even pretend otherwise.
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This does not in fact happen, but in other kinds of social system people do not even pretend that it happens.
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But he had grown to understand that none of them could even pretend to these things.
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I couldn't even pretend that I wanted them!
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No messing about, not even pretend messing.
never
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Mamet has never pretended to be a long-haul writer and sees time the way the early Elizabethans did, as a destroyer.
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It was a long speech, too, by a politician who never pretended that speech-making was one of his top assets.
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He would never pretend she was his niece!
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I never pretended to love her.
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My films never pretend to be anything but artefacts - they're unnatural, contrived, fashioned, unrealistic, on purpose.
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Rune had never pretended an emotional attachment to her - in fact quite the opposite!
only
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She knew he was only pretending for the benefit of their audience.
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The old woman had only pretended to be so kind; she was in reality a wicked witch.
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Besides, she had only pretended to take an overdose.
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I will tell you: because they only pretend to hate tyranny.
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She only pretends , to please you.
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The Pep Squad only pretends to be-and woe to any member who might dare to suggest otherwise.
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The Bride only pretends to be excited.
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Celestine only pretended to be asleep.
otherwise
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Eleanor was wrong to try and pretend otherwise .
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It makes people feel better to pretend otherwise .
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The introduction of council tax is going to hurt an awful lot of people and there is no point in pretending otherwise .
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Nevertheless they were two real victories, and it is childish of Bush's opponents to pretend otherwise .
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Though she'd never been much of a nurse and it was hypocritical to pretend otherwise .
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Though he found it convenient to pretend otherwise , the man was no hick care-taker.
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But if you are well known, it seems foolish to pretend otherwise .
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I knew at once that something was different, why pretend otherwise ?
■ VERB
let
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I can't let her carry on pretending I ain't in the room.
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She even let me pretend it was lettuce-flavoured so that Radish could wade through this wonderland and get her paws all sticky.
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However, let us not pretend that there can not be a choice.
like
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Jagatan liked to pretend that his faculties were failing.
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But I like to pretend otherwise.
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Finding room for the extra athletes may not be as simple as the organising committee would like to pretend .
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They liked to pretend it was hard work and persistence.
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He liked to pretend that life was simple.
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But most of us are frightened by our emotions so we like to pretend that rationality Is normal.
stop
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And will you please stop pretending you care about me?
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Rule two, stop pretending you got engaged to my kid brother for anything but his money.
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The first radical lesson is to stop pretending: you are accepted!
try
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Meanwhile, the federalists try to pretend that this is not happening, or that it will not matter.
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For a time he tried to pretend , as chil-dren do with their toys.
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The suit removed him from what they were all trying to pretend was a normal breakfast.
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Eleanor was wrong to try and pretend otherwise.
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She tried to pretend she didn't know what he meant, but his bantering tone had been deceptive.
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He tried to pretend that the whole episode hadn't happened.
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You have accepted a compliment gracefully, without trying to pretend you don't deserve it.
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But they have paid a high psychological price, coping with the North by trying to pretend thatit does not exist.
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
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Bill closed his eyes, and pretended that the war was over and that he was safe at home.
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He burst into the room with a toy gun in his hand, pretending to be a gangster.
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I pretended not to see her, and carried on walking down the street.
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I don't think he's asleep - I think he's just pretending.
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I like to drive around in my brother's BMW and pretend I'm a rich businessman.
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She pretended to be ill and took a day off work
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They got into the house by pretending they worked for the electricity company.
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We pretended to be students and got into the club for free.
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We thought that he was really hurt, but he was just pretending.
EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS
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All his waking life he pretended not to hear other voices.
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And they had not come, or they had sat across from him and pretended that every-thing was fine.
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But she was not the same as them, she could not pretend to be.
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I am so relieved to not be pretending anymore.
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Jill is on my lap, pretending to be a baby.
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Then the researchers just pretended to increase the lighting.
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We were nervous and pretended not to be, and seeing her rig made us look at each other, nodding.
II. adjective
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
▪
We're building a pretend rocket to the moon.