pretext

From French prétexte, from Latin praetextum (“an ornament, etc., wrought in front, a pretense”), neuter of praetextus, past participle of praetexere (“to weave before, fringe or border, allege”).

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pretext (plural pretexts)

1. A false, contrived, or assumed purpose or reason; a pretense.

   The reporter called the company on the pretext of trying to resolve a consumer complaint.

   • 2012 May 27, Nathan Rabin, “TV: Review: THE SIMPSONS (CLASSIC): “New Kid On The Block” (season 4, episode 8; originally aired 11/12/1992)”, in The Onion AV Club‎:

     When that metaphor proves untenable, he switches to insisting that women are like beer but that’s mainly as a pretext to drink until he passes out in a father-son bonding haze.

• See also Thesaurus:pretext

pretext (third-person singular simple present pretexts, present participle pretexting, simple past and past participle pretexted)

1. To employ a pretext, which involves using a false or contrived purpose for soliciting the gain of something else.

   The spy obtained his phone records using possibly-illegal pretexting methods.

• blag (UK)

• Social engineering on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

• pretext in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• pretext in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.