pretence

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pre|tence /prɪt'ens, AM pr'iːtens/ (pretences)
in AM, use pretense
1 [N-VAR]
A pretence is an action or way of behaving that is intended to make people believe something that is not true.
Welland made a pretence of writing a note in his pad...
We have to go along with the pretence that things are getting better...
2 [PHRASE] usu under PHR
If you do something under false pretences, you do it when people do not know the truth about you and your intentions.
I could not go on living with a man who had married me under false pretences...

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