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.

"To sentence my 69-year-old father under the pretext that his actions lowered the 'likelihood' of my return to stand trial is not justice; it is a judicial farce," she said.

From Barron's • Feb. 26, 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

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

All he did was try to maintain a certain distance, on the pretext of being a hopeless bachelor when it came to matters of the heart.

From "The House of the Spirits: A Novel" by Isabel Allende