pose
Other forms: posed; posing; poses
To pose is to assume a particular stance. Like a runway model strutting to the end of the catwalk, posing with her hands on her hips, and then gracefully walking back.
The original meaning of pose from the 14th century is "to put in a certain position." The sense of pose as "to assume a certain attitude" emerged in the 1850’s. When a person poses, he presents himself in a particular way, often with the hope of impressing others. But if you're just posing objects, then the word loses the negative connotation.
Definitions of pose
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assume a posture as for artistic purposes
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put into a certain place or abstract location
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types:
- show 159 types...
- hide 159 types...
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enclose, inclose, insert, introduce, put in, stick in
introduce
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docket
place on the docket for legal action
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cock
set the trigger of a firearm back for firing
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postpose
place after another constituent in the sentence
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prepose
place before another constituent in the sentence
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step
place (a ship's mast) in its step
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put back, replace
put something back where it belongs
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stratify
form, arrange, or deposit in layers
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plant
place something or someone in a certain position in order to secretly observe or deceive
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intersperse
place at intervals in or among
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nestle, snuggle
position comfortably
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pile
place or lay as if in a pile
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arrange, set up
put into a proper or systematic order
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lay over, superimpose, superpose
place on top of
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superpose
place (one geometric figure) upon another so that their perimeters coincide
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park
place temporarily
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ensconce, settle
fix firmly
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dispose
place or put in a particular order
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emplace
put into place or position
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emplace
provide a new emplacement for guns
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ship
place on board a ship
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underlay
put (something) under or beneath
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trench
set, plant, or bury in a trench
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pigeonhole
place into a small compartment
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shelve
place on a shelf
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jar
place in a cylindrical vessel
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repose
put something (e.g. trust) in something
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sign
place signs, as along a road
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middle
put in the middle
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parallelize
place parallel to one another
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butt
place end to end without overlapping
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recess
put into a recess
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reposition
place into another position
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throw, thrust
place or put with great energy
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tee, tee up
place on a tee
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rack up
place in a rack
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coffin
place into a coffin
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bed
put to bed
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appose
place side by side or in close proximity
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place down, put down, set down
cause to sit or seat or be in a settled position or place
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seed, sow
place (seeds) in or on the ground for future growth
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misplace
place or position wrongly; put in the wrong position
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juxtapose
place side by side
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set down
put or settle into a position
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bottle
put into bottles
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bucket
put into a bucket
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barrel
put in barrels
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ground
place or put on the ground
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pillow, rest
rest on or as if on a pillow
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lose, mislay, misplace
place (something) where one cannot find it again
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upend
set, turn, or stand on end
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seat, sit, sit down
show to a seat; assign a seat for
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seat
place in or on a seat
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lay, put down, repose
put in a horizontal position
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place upright, stand, stand up
put into an upright position
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recline
cause to recline
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plant, set
put or set (seeds, seedlings, or plants) into the ground
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instal, install, put in, set up
set up for use
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deposit, fix, posit, situate
put (something somewhere) firmly
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ladle
put (a liquid) into a container by means of a ladle
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poise
cause to be balanced or suspended
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lean
cause to lean or incline
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clap
put quickly or forcibly
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rest
put something in a resting position, as for support or steadying
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perch
cause to perch or sit
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load
put (something) on a structure or conveyance
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cram
put something somewhere so that the space is completely filled
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set
put into a position that will restore a normal state
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siphon
move a liquid from one container into another by means of a siphon or a siphoning action
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seat
place or attach firmly in or on a base
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position
cause to be in an appropriate place, state, or relation
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glycerolise, glycerolize
place in glycerol
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space
place at intervals
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marshal
place in proper rank
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settle, settle down
settle into a position, usually on a surface or ground
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throw
to put into a state or activity hastily, suddenly, or carelessly
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imbricate
place so as to overlap
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plug
insert as a plug
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plug
insert a plug into
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inoculate
introduce a microorganism into
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inset
set or place in
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glass
put in a glass container
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catheterise, catheterize
insert a catheter into (a body part)
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cup
put into a cup
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interlard, intersperse
introduce one's writing or speech with certain expressions
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feed, feed in
introduce continuously
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slip
insert inconspicuously or quickly or quietly
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foist
insert surreptitiously or without warrant
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regularise, regularize
make regular or more regular
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order
place in a certain order
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order
bring order to or into
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straighten
make straight or straighter
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rearrange, rejigger
put into a new order or arrangement
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serialise, serialize
arrange serially
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alphabetise, alphabetize
arrange in alphabetical order
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coordinate, organise, organize
bring order and organization to
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interstratify
arrange rocks in alternating strata
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stratify
form layers or strata
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deploy
place troops or weapons in battle formation
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aim, direct, take, take aim, train
point or cause to go (blows, weapons, or objects such as photographic equipment) towards
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bury
place in the earth and cover with soil
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hang up
put a telephone receiver back in its cradle
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draw, string, thread
thread on or as if on a string
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marshal
arrange in logical order
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string
stretch out or arrange like a string
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spread out, string out
set out or stretch in a line, succession, or series
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interleave
intersperse the sectors on the concentric magnetic circular patterns written on a computer disk surface to guide the storing and recording of data
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plume, preen
clean with one's bill
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stack
arrange the order of so as to increase one's winning chances
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chain
connect or arrange into a chain by linking
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geminate, pair
arrange in pairs
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concord
arrange the words of a text so as to create a concordance
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cascade
arrange (open windows) on a computer desktop so that they overlap each other, with the title bars visible
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settle
arrange or fix in the desired order
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pyramid
arrange or build up as if on the base of a pyramid
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corral
arrange wagons so that they form a corral
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catenate, catenulate
arrange in a series of rings or chains, as for spores
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decorate, dress
provide with decoration
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develop
superimpose a three-dimensional surface on a plane without stretching, in geometry
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array, lay out, range, set out
lay out orderly or logically in a line or as if in a line
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bundle, compact, pack, wad
compress into a wad
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reship
place on a ship again or transfer to another ship
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reduce
reposition (a broken bone after surgery) back to its normal site
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pop
put or thrust suddenly and forcefully
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flump, plank, plonk, plop, plump, plump down, plunk, plunk down
set (something or oneself) down with or as if with a noise
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broadcast
sow over a wide area, especially by hand
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inseminate, sow, sow in
place seeds in or on (the ground)
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scatter
sow by scattering
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rail
lay with rails
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heap, pile, stack
arrange in stacks
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distribute, stagger
arrange in a systematic order
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stuff
cram into a cavity
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root
plant by the roots
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puddle
dip into mud before planting
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checkrow
plant in checkrows
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drape
arrange in a particular way
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drape
place casually
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reseat
show to a different seat
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lay
lay eggs
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blow
lay eggs
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bed
place (plants) in a prepared bed of soil
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dibble
plant with a wooden hand tool
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afforest, forest
establish a forest on previously unforested land
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replant
plant again or anew
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retrofit
fit in or on an existing structure, such as an older house
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reinstall
install again
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post, put up
place so as to be noticed
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inject, shoot
force or drive (a fluid or gas) into by piercing
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set
fix in a border
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gradate
arrange according to grades
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tree
plant with trees
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square
position so as to be square
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sediment
settle as sediment
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sediment
deposit as a sediment
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dress, line up
arrange in ranks
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bury, entomb, inhume, inter, lay to rest
place in a grave or tomb
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rebury
bury again
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line up
form a line
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orient
cause to point
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a particular way of positioning or arranging one’s body
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a posture assumed by models for photographic or artistic purposes
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a deliberate pretense or exaggerated display
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synonyms:
affectation, affectedness, mannerism
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types:
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attitude
a theatrical pose created for effect
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radical chic
an affectation of radical left-wing views and the fashionable dress and lifestyle that goes with them
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type of:
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feigning, pretence, pretending, pretense, simulation
the act of giving a false appearance
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attitude
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affected manners intended to impress others
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synonyms:
airs
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type of:
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affectedness
the quality of being false or artificial (as to impress others)
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affectedness
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behave affectedly or unnaturally in order to impress others“Don't pay any attention to him--he is always posing to impress his peers!”
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synonyms:
posture
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types:
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attitudinise, attitudinize
assume certain affected attitudes
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attitudinise, attitudinize
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pretend to be someone you are not; sometimes with fraudulent intentions“She posed as the Czar's daughter”
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synonyms:
impersonate, personate
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types:
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masquerade
pretend to be someone or something that you are not
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type of:
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betray, deceive, lead astray
cause someone to believe an untruth
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masquerade
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introduce
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be a mystery or bewildering to
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synonyms:
amaze, baffle, beat, bewilder, dumbfound, flummox, get, gravel, mystify, nonplus, perplex, puzzle, stick, stupefy, vex
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types:
- show 4 types...
- hide 4 types...
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mix up, stump
cause to be perplexed or confounded
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riddle
set a difficult problem or riddle
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elude, escape
be incomprehensible to; escape understanding by
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defy, refuse, resist
elude, especially in a baffling way
Pronunciation
US
/poʊz/
UK
/pəʊz/
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Word Family
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In the city of Baltese, a magician conjures an elephant out thin air and forever changes the lives of many people, including orphans Peter and Adele.
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On the ACT Reading Test, you'll encounter questions that ask you to determine the meanings of common words in context. We've identified 170 high-frequency, multiple-meaning words of the sort that you'll see on the exam. As you practice this list, you'll have to rely on context clues in order to determine each word’s meaning in a particular sentence. Be careful! Several of a word's meanings might show up as answer choices — but only one answer will capture the meaning of the word in the context of the sentence.
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