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
Nepal has said scores of its citizens were recruited under false pretenses to join Russia’s war effort and has called on Moscow to stop the practice.
—
Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 25 Nov. 2025
The war had been sold under false pretenses.
—Dana Taylor, USA Today, 21 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
See All Example Sentences for under false pretenses
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Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 25 Nov. 2025
The war had been sold under false pretenses.
—Dana Taylor, USA Today, 21 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
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 29 Nov. 2025.
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