pretext

as in justification
a false ground that you give to hide why you are really doing something The leaders used a minor clash at the border as a pretext for war.

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Synonym Chooser

How does the noun pretext contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of pretext are alibi, apologia, apology, excuse, and plea. While all these words mean "matter offered in explanation or defense," pretext suggests subterfuge and the offering of false reasons or motives in excuse or explanation.

used any pretext to get out of work

Where would alibi be a reasonable alternative to pretext?

The synonyms alibi and pretext are sometimes interchangeable, but alibi implies a desire to shift blame or evade punishment and imputes mere plausibility to the explanation.

his alibi failed to stand scrutiny

When might apologia be a better fit than pretext?

While the synonyms apologia and pretext are close in meaning, apologia implies not admission of guilt or regret but a desire to make clear the grounds for some course, belief, or position.

his speech was an apologia for his foreign policy

When is it sensible to use apology instead of pretext?

In some situations, the words apology and pretext are roughly equivalent. However, apology usually applies to an expression of regret for a mistake or wrong with implied admission of guilt or fault and with or without reference to mitigating or extenuating circumstances.

said by way of apology that he would have met them if he could

In what contexts can excuse take the place of pretext?

The meanings of excuse and pretext largely overlap; however, excuse implies an intent to avoid or remove blame or censure.

used illness as an excuse for missing the meeting

When would plea be a good substitute for pretext?

The words plea and pretext are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, plea stresses argument or appeal for understanding or sympathy or mercy.

her usual plea that she was nearsighted

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of pretext The crackdown was ostensibly to ferret out spies, but in many cases the security forces used the war as a pretext to detain ethnic and religious minorities as well as Afghan migrants, according to Amnesty International. Babak Dehghanpisheh, NBC news, 24 Sep. 2025 The lawsuit contends that county officials knew his property did not contain farm labor housing but proceeded with the search anyway, using the task force as a pretext to bypass warrant requirements and investigate for potential code violations. Ryan MacAsero, Mercury News, 19 Sep. 2025 The allegations were false, Flores says in her lawsuit, a pretext to fire her. Christopher Damien, USA Today, 19 Sep. 2025 And in practice, officers have needed little pretext to make arrests. Zoe Sottile, CNN Money, 14 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for pretext
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pretext
Noun
  • The removal of Hill isn’t justification for a do-over, or a reason for this season being sideswiped because Hill was on the field when these Dolphins dug themselves an 0-3 hole to start the season.
    Omar Kelly October 3, Miami Herald, 3 Oct. 2025
  • During Friday's hearing, prosecutors pointed to Combs' violent behavior as a justification for a longer sentence.
    Isabella Gomez Sarmiento, NPR, 3 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Voters also tend to lean more nationalist and conservative during economic downturns, said Hajime Kidera, a professor at Meiji University’s School of Political Science and Economics – which is one reason Abe was so popular during the post-recession early 2010s.
    Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 3 Oct. 2025
  • The executive branch does not normally use the shutdown as a reason for layoffs.
    Sarah D. Wire, USA Today, 3 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Though still watchable well into middle age, DiCaprio is no longer, on his own, an excuse to visit the cinema.
    Graham Hillard, The Washington Examiner, 3 Oct. 2025
  • This franchise, this regime, these coaches, these players have officially run out of excuses, and our patience.
    Omar Kelly October 3, Miami Herald, 3 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Multiple Democrats say Vought and the president were determined to use the shutdown as a pretense for inflicting further pain on political opponents.
    Franco Ordoñez, NPR, 2 Oct. 2025
  • Composer Deantoni Parks’s score sustains and amplifies the tension, heightening the creeping pretense of water rushing forward and the punishing breathlessness of struggling back upstream.
    Anne Reeve, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • The cases range from political agitators seeking to intimidate immigrants to others using the guise of authority to allegedly kidnap, rob or assault victims.
    Alexandra Banner, CNN Money, 3 Oct. 2025
  • Also bear in mind that while these benchmark results above outline one optimal implementation of the X2 family, that won’t be the only guise that these chips show up in, by far.
    Wendy Sheehan Donnell, PC Magazine, 29 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Pretext.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pretext. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.

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