Collocations for pretence - noun

elaborate
It was all an elaborate pretence.

keep up, maintain, sustain
I don''t know how long I can keep up this pretence.

abandon, drop, give up

be over
Now that the pretence was over, he could tell them what he really thought.

under the ~ of
He tried to get close to her under the pretence of examining the pictures on the wall.

~ at
His pretence at friendliness fooled no one.

~ of
He was hanged without even the pretence of a proper trial.

make a/little/no pretence
I make no pretence to be an expert on the subject.

by/under false pretences
obtaining money under false pretences