pretext

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The Prince Group spokesman said the allegations by the U.S. and other countries against Chen and his companies are false and a pretext for seizing their assets.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 20, 2026

Instead he uses the war as a pretext for urging modern Britain to “accelerate munitions production” in preparation for a “European War” whose antagonists remain largely unspecified.

From Salon • Apr. 14, 2026

The state also pointed to later postconviction filings and defense counsel’s own affidavit suggesting that she had not in fact preserved the fuller pretext theories subsequently pressed on appeal.

From Slate • Apr. 10, 2026

Prosecutors say the first team of Russian operatives arrived in Angola's capital, Luanda, in 2024 under the pretext of opening a Russian cultural centre, a project that never materialised.

From BBC • Mar. 23, 2026

It would have been easier if Eduardo had come up to be a natural buffer for me, a screen, and perhaps also to provide the pretext by which I might depart.

From "Native Speaker" by Chang-rae Lee