Pretend mash is mashed (4)

I believe the answer is:

sham

'pretend' is the definition.
(I know that sham is a more specific form of the action pretend)

'mash is mashed' is the wordplay.
'is mashed' indicates anagramming the letters.
'mash' is an anagram of 'SHAM'.

(Other definitions for sham that I've seen before include "Feign" , "False, pretend" , "Pretense; bogus" , "Cheap falseness" , "False and phoney" .)

I've seen this clue in The Irish News.

Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.