as in reasons
a false ground that you give to hide why you are really doing something
The leaders used a minor clash at the border as a pretext for war.
Related Words
Relevance
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of pretexts
Gaza showed how power brokers from the White House on down seem eager for pretexts to punish dissent in ways that create a chilling effect, and that the hottest rhetoric from activists can be exactly that pretext.
—
Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 11 Feb. 2026
Hamas says that Israel is creating pretexts to avoid honoring the agreement.
—Mohammed R. Mhawish, New Yorker, 29 Dec. 2025
Those killed under torture, or by starvation, or medical neglect, on the other hand, were transported first to military hospitals where pretexts were invented for the deaths.
—Robin Yassin-Kassab, Time, 17 Sep. 2025
Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 11 Feb. 2026
Hamas says that Israel is creating pretexts to avoid honoring the agreement.
—Mohammed R. Mhawish, New Yorker, 29 Dec. 2025
Those killed under torture, or by starvation, or medical neglect, on the other hand, were transported first to military hospitals where pretexts were invented for the deaths.
—Robin Yassin-Kassab, Time, 17 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pretexts
Noun
-
In this case, that blend of tradition and artistic interpretation resulted in a final product that stood out—if not entirely for the reasons the bride expected.—
Claire Dodds,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
-
One of the reasons American troops would be vulnerable on Kharg Island is its close proximity to the Iranian mainland, from which missiles, drones and artillery could be fired.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Gemini 3 Pro invented elaborate technical justifications for marking incorrect answers as correct, reasoning that doing so would bring the peer’s score above the shutdown threshold.—
Jeremy Kahn,
Fortune,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Medieval monks toiling away at poetic meditations on the divine have their place, the authors allow, but their own arguments are meant to surpass mere abstract justifications for belief.—
Elizabeth Bruenig,
The Atlantic,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
And Trump, of course, is not—despite his pretenses otherwise—the sole decider here.—
David Frum,
The Atlantic,
25 Mar. 2026
-
The adults were arrested on suspicion of theft from an elder, theft by false pretenses, conspiracy, contracting without a license and other offenses.—
Tim Fang,
CBS News,
6 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The excuses really don’t matter.—
Kevin Baxter,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Mar. 2026
-
These things are presented not as potential excuses for the Current’s one-win/two-loss start, but as context around it.—
Daniel Sperry,
Kansas City Star,
27 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pretexts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pretexts. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
