balloon, prick one's balloon, burst one's bubble; disabuse (correction)
527a. Adj. dissuading &c. v.; dissuasive; dehortatory[obs3],
expostulatory[obs3]; monitive|, monitory. dissuaded &c. v.; admonitory;
uninduced &c. (induce &c. 615); unpersuadable &c. (obstinate) 606;
averse &c. (unwilling) 603; repugnant &c. (dislike) 867. repressed.
#617. [Ostensible motive, ground, or reason assigned.] Pretext.—N.
pretext, pretense, pretension, plea|; allegation, advocation;
ostensible motive, ostensible ground, ostensible reason, phony reason;
excuse &c. (vindication) 937; subterfuge; color; gloss, guise, cover.
loop hole, starting hole; how to creep out of, salvo, come off; way of
escape. handle, peg to hang on, room locus standi[Lat]; stalking-horse,
cheval de bataille[Fr], cue. pretense &c. (untruth) 546; put off, dust
thrown in the eyes; blind; moonshine; mere pretext, shallow pretext;
lame excuse, lame apology; tub to a whale; false plea, sour grapes;
makeshift, shift, white lie; special pleading &c. (sophistry) 477; soft
sawder &c. (flattery) 933[obs3]. V. pretend, plead, allege; shelter
oneself under the plea of; excuse &c. (vindicate) 937; lend a color to;
furnish a handle &c. n.; make a pretext of, make a handle of; use as a
plea &c. n.; take one's stand upon, make capital out of, pretend &c.
(lie) 544. Adj. ostensibly &c. (manifest) 525; alleged, apologetic;
pretended &c. 545. Adv. ostensibly; under color; under the plea, under
the pretense of, under the guise of.