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

For as long as index funds have existed, they’ve been under attack from competitors flinging one flimsy pretext after another.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 13, 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

Yet even if relations warm, China is likely to continue use Takaichi's statements as a pretext to justify expanding its military activities, analysts said.

From Barron's • Feb. 9, 2026

But Gordievsky was already briefed on his new duties, and he recognized instantly that the meeting was a pretext for something else.

From "Spies: The Secret Showdown Between America and Russia" by Marc Favreau