pretext
noun
pre·text
| \ ˈprē-ˌtekst
\
\
Definition of pretext
: a purpose or motive alleged or an appearance assumed in order to cloak the real intention or state of affairs
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Examples of pretext in a Sentence
She went back to her friend's house on the pretext that she had forgotten her purse.
Recent Examples on the Web
Vogel testified that Drake, Johnson and the third suspect planned the drug deal as a pretext for a robbery. — Ashley Remkus | [email protected], al, "Man was shot by masked robber during Huntsville drug deal, cop testifies," 21 Aug. 2019 Largely uncelebrated in its native land, Cinco de Mayo is mostly a rickety pretext for tequila-fueled parties north of the border. — Jeremy Bagott, WSJ, "America Is at the End of the Lime," 2 May 2019 Solution 2 If the twins distrust each other, each knows that the other will rat them out on the slightest pretext. — Quanta Magazine, "Solution: ‘Triumph or Cooperation in Game Theory and Evolution’," 8 Dec. 2017 The complaint contends that the two officials responsible for demoting and then firing McCabe — FBI Director Chris Wray and former Attorney General Jeff Sessions — created a pretext to force him out in accordance with the president’s wishes. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "Ex-FBI official Andrew McCabe sues over his firing," 8 Aug. 2019 The complaint contends that the two officials responsible for demoting and then firing McCabe — FBI Director Chris Wray and former Attorney General Jeff Sessions — created a pretext to force him out in accordance with the president's wishes. — Eric Tucker, Fortune, "Ex-FBI Official Andrew McCabe Sues Over His Firing," 8 Aug. 2019 The complaint contends that the two officials responsible for demoting and then firing McCabe — FBI Director Chris Wray and former Attorney General Jeff Sessions — created a pretext to force him out in accordance with the president's wishes. — CBS News, "Former Deputy FBI Director Andrew McCabe sues FBI over his firing," 8 Aug. 2019 As if that really matters in terms of issues like say, the president of the United States inciting violence rooted in a racist pretext against members of Congress. — Michael Arceneaux, Essence, "Opinion: It Doesn’t Matter If Trump’s Outbursts Are A ‘Distraction’ When His Targets Are Placed In Danger," 26 July 2019 Legal experts said using a false pretext for a stop in which an officer’s goal is to collect DNA may be a violation of the Fourth Amendment. — Evan Sernoffsky, SFChronicle.com, "SF prosecutors fight bid to free ‘Rideshare Rapist’ suspect over shoddy police work," 12 July 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'pretext.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for pretext
pretext
noun
English Language Learners Definition of pretext
: a reason that you give to hide your real reason for doing something
See the full definition for pretext in the English Language Learners Dictionary
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