under/on the pretense of

idiom

: using as a false reason or explanation (something that is used to hide the real purpose of something)
He called her under/on the pretense of asking about the homework assignment.

Dictionary Entries Near under/on the pretense of

under one roof

under/on the pretense of

underpaint

Cite this Entry

“Under/on the pretense of.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/under%2Fon%20the%20pretense%20of. Accessed 24 Mar. 2023.

Copy Citation

Share

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of zany

See Definitions and Examples »

Test Your Vocabulary

What Did You Just Call Me?

  • brown chihuahua sitting on the floor with squinting eyes looking at the camera
  • Before we went to her house, Hannah told us her aunt was a flibbertigibbet.
True or False

Test your knowledge - and maybe learn something along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ
Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can with using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.

Can you make 12 words with 7 letters?

PLAY
Words at Play
Ask the Editors
Word Games