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

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

Scammers may post fake room rental listings and even meet potential tenants to collect deposits and first month’s rent under false pretenses. —Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes.com, 27 Aug. 2025

Representing the family of a previous owner, Joe had investigated how the Ferrari was nabbed from a Cincinnati property in 1989, transported to Belgium, and auctioned off under false pretenses. —Stayton Bonner, Robb Report, 24 Aug. 2025

Most of the international community rejects the idea that Ukraine is repressing Russian language and culture and says Russia launched its invasion under false pretenses. —Freddie Clayton, NBC news, 24 Aug. 2025

Rhymes for under false pretenses

• albigenses
• consequences
• inferences
• biosciences
• commences
• condenses
• defences
• defenses
• dispenses
• expenses
• offences
• offenses