pretext
noun
pre·text
ˈprē-ˌtekst 
: a purpose or motive alleged or an appearance assumed in order to cloak the real intention or state of affairs
Examples of pretext in a Sentence
She went back to her friend's house on the pretext that she had forgotten her purse.
Recent Examples on the Web
The lawsuit, filed in 2022, accused Toback of leveraging his power in the entertainment industry to lure young women into meetings under the pretext of discussing potential movie roles.
—
Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 10 Apr. 2025
These scores are then used as a pretext to remove teachers from classrooms and place them on the DNH list, often without any misconduct, due process or opportunity for reinstatement.
—Chicago Tribune, 8 Apr. 2025
Team members want leaders who advocate for them, not ones who quietly use technology as a pretext to cut costs or jobs.
—Dan Pontefract, Forbes.com, 6 Apr. 2025
Hezbollah denied firing the rockets, and accused Israel of seeking a pretext to continue attacking Lebanon.
—Bassem Mroue, Los Angeles Times, 28 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pretext
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Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 10 Apr. 2025
These scores are then used as a pretext to remove teachers from classrooms and place them on the DNH list, often without any misconduct, due process or opportunity for reinstatement.
—Chicago Tribune, 8 Apr. 2025
Team members want leaders who advocate for them, not ones who quietly use technology as a pretext to cut costs or jobs.
—Dan Pontefract, Forbes.com, 6 Apr. 2025
Hezbollah denied firing the rockets, and accused Israel of seeking a pretext to continue attacking Lebanon.
—Bassem Mroue, Los Angeles Times, 28 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pretext
Cite this Entry
“Pretext.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pretext. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
pretext
noun
pre·text
ˈprē-ˌtekst
: a reason put forward in order to hide the real reason
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