pretense

Argentina long ago abandoned any pretense of being a soccer workers’ collective, while Scaloni ditched any pretense that he was really in charge.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 22, 2026

In the film’s staggering final moments, Spielberg sheds every remaining pretense for the sake of one last plea.

From Salon ● Jun. 13, 2026

“It’s a terrible idea to move swiftly and not have the really complicated and challenging process that is required to actually work towards more than a superficial pretense of revisionist history,” Gudis said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 21, 2026

It is so strange to see serious people pretending to be doing serious work in this serious place, when all pretense of intellectual seriousness has fallen away.

From Slate ● Dec. 17, 2025

Eventually he stopped with all pretense of auditioning or looking for a job.

From "The Sun Is Also a Star" by Nicola Yoon

Barofsky said Fain declared under false pretenses that Boyer had been derelict in his duties.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 13, 2026

Meanwhile, Lori, a young Black woman hired under false pretenses as an assistant, stares mutely.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 9, 2026

But that news is tempered by the drumbeat of reports from the other end of the airport, where scores of arriving travelers have been detained in frightening conditions and under flimsy pretenses.

From Slate ● Jul. 10, 2025

Despite the Oscars being more global and diverse than ever, it seems like Academy voters have yet to shed their pretenses when considering truly noteworthy work that doesn’t fall neatly into a box.

From Salon ● Jan. 23, 2025

The Jefferson style was to evade, maintain pretenses, then convince himself that all was well.

From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis