pretence BrE
pretense AmE

She would have to keep up some sort of pretence.

Perhaps all would be well, if only they could keep up the pretence.

Why do we have to go through all this pretence?

I was only making the pretence of thinking about this.

Not one for pretence either, by the look of it.

I am to keep up the pretence that you are in the room.

When he turned to face his secretary, all pretence had gone.

All these fine words of his - so much pretence.

He could see that it was no pretence on her part.

Fine, let's give up the pretence and get on with our lives.

Make a pretence of writing and watch everyone who comes up there.

Every day he came home early, and at last made no pretence of going anywhere.

Indeed his reaction needed little in the way of pretence.

The Shadow's part was to keep on with his pretence.

He brought me down here to work for him under false pretences.

Even when the players act the part, once in power they drop the pretence.

It was impossible to keep up our social pretences any longer.

No amount of talk and pretence will make it reality.

As between himself and Philip there could be no pretences.

There was no point in maintaining the pretence any longer.

"So why keep up the pretence of searching for her?"

He went through the pretence of examining it with care.

Anyone listening outside the door would never guess it was all pretence.

So why's she keeping up the pretence now that he's dead?

He made no pretence of not knowing what she meant.

She would have to give up even the pretense of a social life.

But cut out the pretense and get down to business.

In the end my parents gave up all pretense of coming home during the week.

I felt my face getting red again, but the time for pretense was past.

Certainly, when she was away, as now, he made no pretense of any interest in food.

I had a wife, and there was no pretense between us.

He made no pretense to understand the how or why of it.

There was no longer a pretense of a house party.

This idea never has worked, but the pretense was on.

And once she did, they could put all this pretense behind them.

But even so, the pretense could be kept up for a good while.

It took all the energy she had to hold up the pretense of an united couple.

Got to put on a pretense that we know what we're doing here.

She looked back at me and this time her face was without pretense.

I'll go to the guy's door on some pretense or other, and when he comes out, you can get a good look.

Why this pretense that they had not come to the city before?

"How much longer are you going to keep up this pretense?"

"You have already told me that was only a pretense."

Her eyes met his, all pretense gone from them suddenly.

About that, at least, she was sure there had been no pretense.

But he kept up the pretense that they all did.

He knew that the voice, like the face, was a pretense.

She seemed to be waiting for him, and was making no pretense of doing anything else.

If she wanted to keep up the pretense on that, it was all right by me.

He makes no pretense of being a professional film director.