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
Pages and pages have been written on this passage, seeking out its ideological subtext, its historical context and its intellectual pretexts in classical and early modern thought.
—
New York Times,
9 June 2026
The Kremlin is making false accusations that could be used in the future as pretexts for military attacks.
—
Steve Forbes,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
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
New York Times,
9 June 2026
The Kremlin is making false accusations that could be used in the future as pretexts for military attacks.
—
Steve Forbes,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pretexts
Noun
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Whatever the reasons, the result is somewhat ironic.
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Another possibility is that AMD made the move for performance reasons.
Noun
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Its role is to expose wrongdoing, illuminate facts, and draw the world’s attention to crimes committed in the name of false causes and manufactured justifications.
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Lawsuits and hearings The independent journalist Katie Phang is currently suing the Department of Justice to force it to provide justifications for many of the redactions and release additional documents.
Noun
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Fernando Navarro, 53, of Minneapolis, is facing four counts of felony fraud for collecting nearly $70,000 in funds from Minnesota's medical assistance program under false pretenses.
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However, according to Ryan, Hernandez was a fraud, allegedly seeking money under false pretenses.
Noun
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On the South Korean side, coach Hong Myung-bo avoided making excuses and focused his analysis on the play that decided the match.
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The challenge becomes even more difficult because the usual excuses aren’t available.
Cite this Entry
“Pretexts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pretexts. Accessed 28 Jun. 2026.
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