- pretext, stalking-horse - something serving to conceal plans; a fictitious reason that is concocted in order to conceal the real reason
--1 is a kind of pretense, pretence, feigning, dissembling
--1 has particulars: putoff - guise, pretense, pretence, pretext - an artful or simulated semblance; "under the guise of friendship he betrayed them"
--2 is a kind of semblance, gloss, color, colour