under false pretenses
idiom
: by saying something that is not true, by pretending something, etc.
A reporter obtained documents from the company under false pretenses.
Examples of under false pretenses in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Some Democrats were left frustrated by the Harris campaign’s strategy and have complained that their donations were given under false pretenses.
—
Ross O'Keefe, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 15 Jan. 2025
The lawsuit, filed in a federal court in Washington, accused Mr. Biden and other senior administration officials of corrupting the review process for political gain and of harming steelworkers and the American steel industry by blocking the deal under false pretenses.
—Alan Rappeport, New York Times, 6 Jan. 2025
Russia also reportedly recruited hundreds of Yemeni men to fight in its war in Ukraine by luring them to Russia under false pretenses in coordination with the Houthi terrorist network, according to a report from the Financial times.
—Greg Wehner, Fox News, 30 Dec. 2024
In 2020, al-Hamada flew back to Damascus, lured by government officials under false pretenses, his family believe.
—Salma Abdelaziz, CNN, 13 Dec. 2024
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Ross O'Keefe, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 15 Jan. 2025
The lawsuit, filed in a federal court in Washington, accused Mr. Biden and other senior administration officials of corrupting the review process for political gain and of harming steelworkers and the American steel industry by blocking the deal under false pretenses.
—Alan Rappeport, New York Times, 6 Jan. 2025
Russia also reportedly recruited hundreds of Yemeni men to fight in its war in Ukraine by luring them to Russia under false pretenses in coordination with the Houthi terrorist network, according to a report from the Financial times.
—Greg Wehner, Fox News, 30 Dec. 2024
In 2020, al-Hamada flew back to Damascus, lured by government officials under false pretenses, his family believe.
—Salma Abdelaziz, CNN, 13 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for under false pretenses
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Cite this Entry
“Under false pretenses.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/under%20false%20pretenses. Accessed 18 Jan. 2025.
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