pretense

Prosecutors portrayed Combs and his associates as luring female victims, often under the pretense of a romantic relationship.

His publicists invited her under the pretense of a business dinner with Vogue editor in chief Anna Wintour, then White surprised Dobrev instead.

Masked migra swept across Southern California under the pretense of rounding up criminals.

All pretense that ICE is targeting immigrants with criminal records has gone out the window.

Admittedly, much of social life consists of maintaining a thin pretense of normality.