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
These travelers weren't deported—they were denied entry after attempting to enter the U.S. under false pretenses.
—
Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Apr. 2025
Yoon-gab invites her to the palace, but under false pretenses.
—Joan MacDonald, Forbes.com, 23 Apr. 2025
By the end of episode six, Rick (Walton Goggins) and Frank (Sam Rockwell) manage to secure an invitation—under false pretenses—to the Bangkok residence of White Lotus co-owner Sritala Hollinger (Lek Patravadi) and her husband Jim (Scott Glenn).
—Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 7 Apr. 2025
The activists trying to take down Tesla Illustration by Anuj Shrestha
The Makeup Artist Donald Trump Deported Under the Alien Enemies Act
The President has invoked the law to send Venezuelans to prison in El Salvador without due process—and, in many cases, under false pretenses.
—Ian Crouch, New Yorker, 1 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for under false pretenses
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Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Apr. 2025
Yoon-gab invites her to the palace, but under false pretenses.
—Joan MacDonald, Forbes.com, 23 Apr. 2025
By the end of episode six, Rick (Walton Goggins) and Frank (Sam Rockwell) manage to secure an invitation—under false pretenses—to the Bangkok residence of White Lotus co-owner Sritala Hollinger (Lek Patravadi) and her husband Jim (Scott Glenn).
—Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 7 Apr. 2025
The activists trying to take down Tesla Illustration by Anuj Shrestha
The Makeup Artist Donald Trump Deported Under the Alien Enemies Act
The President has invoked the law to send Venezuelans to prison in El Salvador without due process—and, in many cases, under false pretenses.
—Ian Crouch, New Yorker, 1 Apr. 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 4 Jul. 2025.
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