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.

They were going to court for hearings they had to attend, then getting scooped up under a pretext that itself turned out to be a lie.

From Slate • Mar. 27, 2026

“They use it as a pretext, even in regions where there is no such danger.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 14, 2026

“It’s all pretext and obfuscation when the real agenda is rejecting conventional science and serving a predetermined anti-vaccine agenda,” Richard Hughes IV, a law professor at George Washington University, told The Guardian.

From Salon • Feb. 13, 2026

Minister Seethakka told the Hindu newspaper that killing stray dogs under the pretext of population control could not be justified under any circumstances.

From BBC • Jan. 23, 2026

I was about to use it as a pretext for starting a conversation when the train stopped again.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides