under false pretenses

phrase

: 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

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Hours after her murder, Wilson encountered Ruiz and persuaded her to get into his vehicle under false pretenses, and then killed her before running her over multiple times and abandoning her body in a nearby field, per Gulf Coast News Now. — Jane Lacroix, PEOPLE, 7 May 2026

Rhymes for under false pretenses

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underfall
under false pretenses
underfeed
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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 8 Jul. 2026.

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