Is there a non-vulgar version of "pulled it out of their ass"? [duplicate]

Solution 1:

Pulled it out of thin air works well. It keeps the pulled which reminds people of the phrase you're avoiding, while out of thin air means from nothing. A (probably older) variation is plucked out of thin air.

You also hear pulled it out of their rear end/backside but I guess these versions don't really help much.

Solution 2:

For a usage that implies that something (an object or idea, etc.) appeared from nowhere, you could say, "He pulled it out of thin air."

On the other hand, if what you want is a usage meaning that they are "bullshitting" (as in making something up), then you could say, "He fabricated it out of whole cloth."