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
This is not the first time in recent weeks that authorities have arrested people accused of trying to enter evacuation zones under false pretenses.
—
Keri Blakinger, Los Angeles Times, 20 Jan. 2025
Eiffel and members of the company’s management were charged with raising money under false pretenses and misuse of funds.
—Elizabeth Stamp, Architectural Digest, 25 Dec. 2024
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
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Keri Blakinger, Los Angeles Times, 20 Jan. 2025
Eiffel and members of the company’s management were charged with raising money under false pretenses and misuse of funds.
—Elizabeth Stamp, Architectural Digest, 25 Dec. 2024
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
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 31 Jan. 2025.
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