1
as in pretense
a display of emotion or behavior that is insincere or intended to deceive
tried to project some semblance of confidence even though public speaking terrified her
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in appearance
outward and often deceptive indication
a used-car dealer with only a semblance of honesty
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of semblance
Hayes is part of a small faction of Black social media app founders with semblances of success in the space—it’s been proven to be incredibly difficult to gauge and sustain the interest of the masses on a new digital platform when compared to Instagram, X, Snapchat, and TikTok.
—
Jasmine Browley, Essence, 3 Mar. 2025
Wittingly or not, nobody embodied this behavior better than Musk, who has spent the past decade operating with a healthy contempt for institutions, any semblance of decorum, and the law.
—Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 28 Feb. 2025
The doors closed, sparing Sam from making a false promise, a small favor on a night that hadn’t offered her any semblance of mercy.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 12 Feb. 2025
Burns can still sew up a talented cast, which likely speaks to the appeal of any project these days with a semblance of recognizable adult humanity bubbling inside.
—Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 21 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for semblance
Jasmine Browley, Essence, 3 Mar. 2025
Wittingly or not, nobody embodied this behavior better than Musk, who has spent the past decade operating with a healthy contempt for institutions, any semblance of decorum, and the law.
—Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 28 Feb. 2025
The doors closed, sparing Sam from making a false promise, a small favor on a night that hadn’t offered her any semblance of mercy.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 12 Feb. 2025
Burns can still sew up a talented cast, which likely speaks to the appeal of any project these days with a semblance of recognizable adult humanity bubbling inside.
—Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 21 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for semblance
Recent Examples of Synonyms for semblance
Noun
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The Trump Administration has significantly weakened America's national security infrastructure under the false pretense of government efficiency, by reducing staffing at the Departments of Defense and State, FBI, CIA, USAID, and others despite increasing global threats.—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
TIME,
24 Mar. 2025
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The Trump administration’s harrowing detention of Palestinian student activist Mahmoud Khalil — and the broader repression of student activism on campuses across the country — is being sold to the public under the false pretense of ensuring Jewish safety.—
Adam Jaffe,
New York Daily News,
18 Mar. 2025
Noun
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In 2015-16 at Division II Lenoir-Rhyne, Odom led the Bears to a 21-10 mark – a 13-win improvement — and the school’s first-ever NCAA Sweet 16 appearance.—
Adam Zagoria,
Forbes,
22 Mar. 2025
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In what will be his first public appearance he was hospitalized, Francis will give his blessing shortly after noon on Sunday to a crowd outside the hospital, the Vatican said in a statement.—
Emma Bowman,
NPR,
22 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Though the statesman tries to stay one step ahead of the sovereign, the facade he’s so carefully crafted starts to crack.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
23 Mar. 2025
-
The iconic flag is bolted onto the facades of brick homes.—
Sara Miller Llana,
The Christian Science Monitor,
20 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Arielle Konig suffered multiple lacerations to her face and head and was hospitalized in serious but stable condition, according to the court documents.—
Emily Shapiro,
ABC News,
28 Mar. 2025
-
The club was candid — perhaps to a fault — regarding its extensive efforts to trade the face of the franchise, hoping to clear up payroll and roster space.—
Katie Woo,
New York Times,
28 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
All would come under the guise of respect for local norms.—
David Faris,
Newsweek,
17 Mar. 2025
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Underneath the guise of afternoon tea, though, lies a book club, which offers Eleanor, Rose and Lavinia the chance of newfound freedom.—
Carly Tagen-Dye,
People.com,
14 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
My impression of bath mats, from years of owning ones that end up getting soggy on contact, was that there was little to nothing to do about mildew, puddles of water, and discoloration.—
Julia Harrison,
Architectural Digest,
27 Mar. 2025
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And those first impressions include just about everything.—
Terri Williams,
Forbes.com,
27 Mar. 2025
Noun
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The entrepreneur rose to fame as an executive producer and star of the Netflix reality show that showcased affluent Asians in Southern California.—
Lawrence Yee,
People.com,
22 Mar. 2025
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And be sure to check out my latest streaming guide for all the other shows and movies out this weekend.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes,
22 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Consider that a bottle of $50 Champagne may soon cost $200 after tariffs go into effect April 1.—
John Mariani,
Forbes,
21 Mar. 2025
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Businesses have been warning investors about tariffs, inflation and growing uncertainty about the effect on costs.—
Damian J. Troise and Alex Veiga,
Los Angeles Times,
21 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Semblance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/semblance. Accessed 31 Mar. 2025.
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