pretext
[noun]
Synonyms: guise, cloak, cover, excuse, ploy, pretence, ruse, show

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English Thesaurus: reason, explanation, motive, justification, grounds, ...

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

pre‧text /ˈpriːtekst/ 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.

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

pretext
noun
VERB + PRETEXT give sb, provide (sb with) | find, invent He considered inventing some pretext for calling her.
PREP. on a/the ~ He disappeared into his study on the pretext that he had work to do there.
under a/the ~ Under the pretext of checking her identity, the man had copied down her credit card details.
~ for He used his research as a pretext for travelling to Hungary.
PHRASES at/on the slightest pretext He keeps popping into my office on the slightest pretext.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

reason why something happens, or why someone does something:
What was the reason for the delay?
I don’t know the reason why he left his last job.
explanation a set of reasons that helps you to understand why something happens, especially when it seems difficult to understand:
There are various possible explanations for climate change.
Is there any explanation for his behavior?
motive a reason that makes someone decide to do something – often used about crimes:
Police say that there is no obvious motive for the attack.
justification a good reason for doing something that seems wrong:
There is never any justification for torture or abuse.
They try to use the situation in the Middle East as a justification for killing innocent civilians.
There’s no justification for this type of behaviour.
grounds a reason that makes it right or fair to do something, especially according to legal, official, or moral rules:
The court will decide if she has grounds for divorce.
They claim the war is justified on moral grounds (=because of moral reasons).
basis the main ideas or reasons on which something is based:
The doctor makes his decisions purely on the basis of clinical observation.
What do you think is the basis for this advice?
rationale /ˌræʃəˈnɑːl $ -ˈnæl/ formal a set of reasons that are used to explain why someone does something in a particular way:
the rationale behind the government’s economic reforms
This chapter explains the nature of yearly plans, and provides a rationale for their use.
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.
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.
They used this as a pretext for taking military action.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲