Pretender and Sham

Pretender

Pretender noun - One who makes false claims of identity or expertise.
Usage example: it turns out that the guy who claimed to work for a modeling agency was just a pretender

Sham is a synonym for pretender. In some cases you can use "Sham" instead a noun "Pretender". popular alternative

Sham

Sham noun - One who makes false claims of identity or expertise.
Usage example: that supposed French movie star was a sham

Pretender is a synonym for sham in fraud topic. You can use "Pretender" instead a noun "Sham", if it concerns topics such as charlatan. popular alternative

Nearby Word: shame
Cite this Source
Sham and Pretender. (2016). Retrieved 2026, July 21, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/pretender/sham
Pretender & Sham. N.p., 2016. Web. 21 Jul. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/pretender/sham>.
Sham or Pretender. 2016. Accessed July 21, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/pretender/sham.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "pretender" and "sham" have occurred on timeline