Synonyms of pretenders

pretenders

noun

plural of pretender

as in frauds

one who makes false claims of identity or expertise

it turns out that the guy who claimed to work for a modeling agency was just a pretender

Synonyms & Similar Words

• frauds
• fakes
• shams
• charlatans
• impostors
• fakers
• deceivers
• misleaders
• phonies
• quacks
• mountebanks
• actors
• humbugs
• fakirs
• counterfeiters
• ringers
• operators
• hoaxers
• imitators
• copycats
• poseurs
• impersonators
• dissemblers
• quacksalvers
• tricksters
• skinners
• swindlers
• mimics
• dodgers
• sharpers
• bluffers
• scammers
• fraudsters
• duper
• feigners
• defrauders
• sharpies
• scamsters
• cozeners

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• professionals
• masters
• experts
• authorities
• virtuosos
• adepts
• wizards
• aces
• maestros
• past masters
• crackerjacks
• whizzes

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of pretenders

The schedule is forgivable, even by ACC standards, but a rematch on the road against Notre Dame will separate the Canes as contenders or pretenders. — Austin Perry Outkick, FOXNews.com, 28 July 2026

Now, hardship seems to be an end in itself, a battle scar or badge of honor that distinguishes true backpackers from mere pretenders. — Tim Brinkhof, Time, 4 May 2026

These two pretenders reflect an insider debate whose subject is not the existence of the Islamic Republic but the best method of its survival. — Karim Sadjadpour, The Atlantic, 4 Mar. 2026

The Cult of the Beaver has to fend off pretenders. — Aj Willingham, AJC.com, 13 Jan. 2026

Momentum hardens, vulnerabilities are exposed and the gap between contenders and pretenders is out in the open. — Clayton Davis, Variety, 7 Jan. 2026

With the monetary system in a free-fall, some Iranians would rather have a beneficent king than all these pretenders oh-so-interested in the people. — Editorial Board, Washington Post, 5 Jan. 2026

The Patriots are contenders, the Bears pretenders. — Jerry McDonald, Mercury News, 4 Dec. 2025

Discernment in separating potential winners from the pretenders is a positive, if sometimes manic and messy, process. — Michael Santoli, CNBC, 10 Nov. 2025