under false pretenses
idiom
: by saying something that is not true, by pretending something, etc.
A reporter obtained documents from the company under false pretenses.
Examples of under false pretenses in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Most of Ukraine’s Donbas region, where the 17 were said to be trapped, is under Russian military control, and Moscow has been accused in the past by developing countries of recruiting their citizens to fight on its behalf under false pretenses.
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Reuters 16 Hr Ago, CNN Money, 6 Nov. 2025
Directed by Alia Azamat Ashkenazi, a two-time United Nations Award winner, the film explores the haunting legacy of a real-life government scheme that displaced thousands of children from La Réunion to rural France under false pretenses.
—Leo Barraclough, Variety, 23 Oct. 2025
On July 30, 2024, Ozer signed a plea agreement with prosecutors acknowledging his intent to defraud and obtain money from the Safehaven production under false pretenses.
—Steve Belanger, HollywoodReporter, 23 Oct. 2025
Over six episodes of Love Con Revenge, Fjellhøy teams up with private investigator Brianne Joseph to spotlight the cases of four men and one woman who demanded money from their partners under false pretenses.
—Olivia B. Waxman, Time, 5 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for under false pretenses
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Reuters 16 Hr Ago, CNN Money, 6 Nov. 2025
Directed by Alia Azamat Ashkenazi, a two-time United Nations Award winner, the film explores the haunting legacy of a real-life government scheme that displaced thousands of children from La Réunion to rural France under false pretenses.
—Leo Barraclough, Variety, 23 Oct. 2025
On July 30, 2024, Ozer signed a plea agreement with prosecutors acknowledging his intent to defraud and obtain money from the Safehaven production under false pretenses.
—Steve Belanger, HollywoodReporter, 23 Oct. 2025
Over six episodes of Love Con Revenge, Fjellhøy teams up with private investigator Brianne Joseph to spotlight the cases of four men and one woman who demanded money from their partners under false pretenses.
—Olivia B. Waxman, Time, 5 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for under false pretenses
Cite this Entry
“Under false pretenses.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/under%20false%20pretenses. Accessed 13 Nov. 2025.
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