pre ‧ text /ˈpriːtekst/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
[ Date: 1500-1600 ; Language: Latin ; Origin: praetextus , from praetexere 'to weave in front, make an excuse' ]
a false reason given for an action, in order to hide the real reason
pretext for
The incident provided the pretext for war.
on/under the pretext of doing something
Tom called at her apartment on the pretext of asking for a book.
on/under the pretext that
He left immediately on the pretext that he had a train to catch.
He’ll phone on some pretext or other.
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THESAURUS
■ a reason that does not seem believable
▪ excuse a reason that you give to explain why you have done something bad, or not done something that you should have done – especially one that is not completely true:
She said she couldn’t come because she had to work late, but it was just an excuse.
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a feeble excuse (=one that is hard to believe)
▪ pretext especially written an untrue reason that you give for doing or not doing something, in order to hide the real reason:
He would often find some pretext to go out in the evening alone.
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They used this as a pretext for taking military action.