as in reasons
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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Recent Examples of pretexts
Americans have a long history of being hurried into war on false pretexts.
—
Adam Kirsch, The Atlantic, 3 May 2026
Hamas says that Israel is creating pretexts to avoid honoring the agreement.
—Mohammed R. Mhawish, New Yorker, 29 Dec. 2025
Those killed under torture, or by starvation, or medical neglect, on the other hand, were transported first to military hospitals where pretexts were invented for the deaths.
—Robin Yassin-Kassab, Time, 17 Sep. 2025
Adam Kirsch, The Atlantic, 3 May 2026
Hamas says that Israel is creating pretexts to avoid honoring the agreement.
—Mohammed R. Mhawish, New Yorker, 29 Dec. 2025
Those killed under torture, or by starvation, or medical neglect, on the other hand, were transported first to military hospitals where pretexts were invented for the deaths.
—Robin Yassin-Kassab, Time, 17 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pretexts
Noun
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With the exception of the punitive visit to the bank, Suzanna’s grandmother does not discuss her daughter’s crime or her reasons for committing it.—
James Wood,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
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The government exists to create the environment where these technologies can help Californians to flourish, not limit them for sometimes political reasons, which is always overreach.—
Kaitlyn Schallhorn,
Oc Register,
4 May 2026
Noun
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Soldier Field, Rate Field and even Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis loom over the landscape, marking steel and concrete warnings and justifications for a new stadium deal.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
4 May 2026
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Southern states were expert at constructing race-neutral justifications for racially discriminatory outcomes.—
Alvin C. Hathaway Sr,
Baltimore Sun,
4 May 2026
Noun
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According to evidence presented at trial, Zhu and his associates imported cheap COVID-19 tests from China, then repackaged and resold them under false pretenses.—
Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
6 May 2026
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Maybe Thalia had come to Gilead under false pretenses and gotten caught.—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
6 May 2026
Noun
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There are at least three good excuses to do just that.—
Patrick Connolly,
The Orlando Sentinel,
30 Apr. 2026
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At Dos Pueblos High in Goleta, baseball coach George Hedricks needed no excuses to start freshman Mattias Di Maggio, considering last name of DiMaggio is one of the best baseball names in the history of the sport.—
Eric Sondheimer,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pretexts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pretexts. Accessed 9 May. 2026.
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