You’re staring at the grid. It’s a Wednesday or maybe a Thursday, and the coffee has already gone cold. You see it: "Pretend to be." Six letters. Or maybe four. Your brain immediately jumps to "ACT AS" or "FEIGN." But wait, the "A" doesn't fit the down clue. This is the moment where casual solvers get stuck and the pros start smiling. The phrase pretend to be crossword clue is one of those classic chameleons in the puzzle world. It’s not just about a definition; it’s about the specific flavor of deception the constructor wants you to find.
Crosswords are essentially a battle of wits between you and the person who built the grid. When they use a phrase like "pretend to be," they aren't just looking for a synonym. They’re looking for a pivot. Sometimes it’s a verb, sometimes it’s a prefix, and occasionally, it’s a piece of meta-commentary on the act of performance itself.
The Common Suspects: From ACTS to POSES
Let's look at the most frequent answers. If you see "Pretend to be" and the answer is four letters, it’s almost always APES. To ape someone is to mimic or imitate them, often with a hint of mockery. It’s a staple of the New York Times crossword, appearing hundreds of times over the decades. Short, vowel-heavy, and perfect for connecting difficult words.
Then you have POSES. This one shows up when the context is more about a physical or social stance. If you're pretending to be a statue or pretending to be someone you aren't at a high-society gala, you’re posing. It’s a nuanced difference, but in the grid, those nuances are everything.
- IMITATE (7 letters): The straightforward approach.
- FEIGN (5 letters): Usually used when the "pretending" involves an illness or a feeling.
- PLAY (4 letters): Think "play the part."
- SHAM (4 letters): A bit more aggressive, usually implying a hoax.
Why "ACTS" Isn't Always the Answer
Most beginners write in A-C-T-S immediately. It's a natural instinct. But constructors love to subvert that. They might be looking for MIMIC or even EMULATE if the grid allows for a longer stretch. If you find yourself wedged into a corner where ACTS doesn't work, look at the vowels. If there’s an "O," you’re likely looking at COPY. If there's an "E," maybe it's EMULATE.
The Art of the Misdirection
Crossword construction is an architectural feat. When Will Shortz or the team at the LA Times selects a clue for "pretend to be," they consider the day of the week. Monday clues are literal. "Pretend to be" might just be ACT. By Saturday? It could be something obscure like SIMULATE or even a pun.
Think about the word MASQUERADE. It’s long. It’s elegant. It rarely fits in a tight corner, but it’s the "big boss" of this clue category. When you see a long blank space for a "pretend to be" clue, start looking for that Q or that Z. Puzzles are about patterns.
Honestly, the hardest part is the tense. Is it "Pretend to be," "Pretending to be," or "Pretended to be"? A single "S" or "ED" at the end of a word can ruin your entire afternoon. If the clue is "Pretends to be," your answer must end in an S (like APES or ACTS). If it’s "Pretended to be," you’re looking for APED or POSED. It sounds simple, but when you're thirty minutes into a difficult grid, these are the details that slip through the cracks.
The Role of Context Clues
Sometimes the clue isn't just "Pretend to be." It might be "Pretend to be brave" (PUT ON A BRAVE FACE) or "Pretend to be someone else" (IMPERSONATE). These longer phrases are actually easier because they provide more "crossers"—the letters from intersecting words.
"The grid is a conversation. If you aren't listening to the down clues, you'll never understand the across clues." — This is a sentiment shared by many professional cruciverbalists.
Semantic Variations You’ll Encounter
Crosswords rely on a limited vocabulary of "useful" words. These are words with common letters that help bridge gaps. That’s why you see the same answers over and over again.
- PASSE AS: This is a common three-word phrase condensed into a single clue.
- AFFECT: Not the noun, but the verb. To affect a certain style or persona.
- PERSONATE: A slightly more formal version of impersonate.
- MAKE LIKE: Slangy, often used in more modern puzzles like the AV Club Crossword.
Kinda tricky, right? Basically, you have to keep your mind flexible. If you're stuck on a pretend to be crossword clue, stop looking at the clue and start looking at the letters you already have. If you have a _ P _ S, it’s almost certainly APES. If you have _ _ S _ S, it’s likely POSES.
Real-World Examples from Major Puzzles
In a 2023 New York Times puzzle, the clue "Pretend to be" led to the answer ACT THE PART. This is a classic example of a "span"—an answer that crosses multiple blocks. In another instance from the Wall Street Journal, the clue was "Pretend to be, as a character," and the answer was PORTRAY.
You see the pattern. It’s about the "as."
"Pretend to be as a villain."
"Pretend to be as a ghost."
The "as" changes the grammatical requirement of the answer.
Expert Tips for Solving This Specific Clue
If you want to get faster, you have to stop thinking like a dictionary and start thinking like a constructor. They have a limited number of words that fit specific letter counts.
The Three-Letter Wall
If the answer is only three letters long, you’re likely looking at ACT. There aren't many other options. Maybe PUT (as in "put on"), but that’s rare without a preposition in the clue.
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The Five-Letter Favorite
FEIGN is the darling of the five-letter slot. It has that juicy "G" and "N" that help connect tougher words. If FEIGN doesn't fit, try ADOPT (as in "adopt a persona").
The Six-Letter Standard
ASSUME is a big one here. "To assume a role." It’s formal, it’s clean, and it’s a very common answer for mid-week puzzles.
Understanding the "Meta" of Crosswords
The world of crosswords has changed. In 2026, we’re seeing more "indie" puzzles that use pop culture references. A "pretend to be" clue might now reference a specific actor or a TikTok trend. "Pretend to be, on social media" could lead to FILTER or CATFISH.
You have to know your audience. If you’re playing the New Yorker crossword, expect something more literary or academic. If you’re playing a local newspaper rag, stick to the basics like ACT.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Don't get married to your first guess. If you write in APES and the down clue for the "P" is clearly wrong, erase it immediately. The "sunk cost fallacy" is the death of a good solve. Also, watch out for "Pretend to be" versus "One who pretends to be." The latter requires a noun, like SHAM, FAKER, or POSER.
Tactical Steps for Your Next Puzzle
When you run into this clue again—and you will, probably within the next week—follow this mental checklist:
- Check the length. 3? ACT. 4? APES or PLAY. 5? FEIGN.
- Check the tense. Does it end in -S, -ED, or -ING?
- Check the "flavor." Is it mocking (APE), physical (POSE), or deceptive (SHAM)?
- Look for crossers. Fill in the easy words around it first. The "pretend to be" clue is often the "hinge" that holds a section together.
The beauty of the pretend to be crossword clue is that it reminds us how flexible language is. One simple phrase can mean ten different things depending on the context. That’s why we play, isn’t it? To see the connections we usually miss.
Next time you're stuck, take a breath. Step away for five minutes. Often, the brain continues to work on the pattern in the background. You’ll come back, look at that _ P _ S, and realize it was APES all along. You’ll feel that little hit of dopamine, fill it in, and move on to the next corner of the grid.
Start keeping a "clue journal" or use a digital solver app to track recurring answers. You'll find that "pretend to be" is just one of about a hundred "keystone clues" that form the backbone of the crossword world. Master these, and you'll go from a Sunday struggler to a daily master.
Look at the clues surrounding the "pretend" entry. If the puzzle has a theme—say, "At the Movies"—the answer is much more likely to be STAGE or ACT. If the theme is "Animal Kingdom," you're almost certainly looking at APES. The theme is the "vibe" of the entire grid; ignore it at your own peril.
Keep your eraser handy and your mind open. The grid is waiting.