1
as in to throw (on)
to place on one's person
I put on a coat and shoes to go outside
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to exaggerate
to describe or express in too strong terms
some critics are putting it on when they say it's the best comedy ever made
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to pretend
to present a false appearance of
put on a show of anger just for fun
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in mock
lacking in natural or spontaneous quality
a put-on goofy voice
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in pretense
a display of emotion or behavior that is insincere or intended to deceive
my bravery was all a put-on—I was scared out of my wits
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in parody
a work that imitates and exaggerates another work for comic effect
for a moment, I couldn't tell if the commercial was serious or a deadpan put-on of ads by other insurance companies
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of put on
Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 28 May 2025
By February 2022, Foster and Jackman finally put on their first performance together.
—Caroline Blair, People.com, 28 May 2025
Rachel Flynn, People.com, 3 Dec. 2024
Also, Burgess is British IRL, so props to him for faking a bad accent, then using a put-on American one for the rest of the episode.
—Sara Netzley, EW.com, 29 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for put on
Verb
Against that industry backdrop, Hudson Pacific and Blackstone recently put on hold plans to build a 91-acre film and TV studio complex in the UK, which had been touted as the first foray outside the U.S. market for the Sunset Studios brand.
—Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 28 May 2025
By February 2022, Foster and Jackman finally put on their first performance together.
—Caroline Blair, People.com, 28 May 2025
Adjective
Turns out, dat good ole dialect is a put-on: James speaks like a professor.
—Rachel Flynn, People.com, 3 Dec. 2024
Also, Burgess is British IRL, so props to him for faking a bad accent, then using a put-on American one for the rest of the episode.
—Sara Netzley, EW.com, 29 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for put on
Recent Examples of Synonyms for put on
Verb
-
Trump has long been known for his tendency to exaggerate crowd sizes at his rallies and public events, a pattern that dates back to his very first days in office.—
Martha McHardy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 May 2025
-
Another hurdle is getting buy-in from red states, where many politicians have espoused the view that hate crimes and domestic terrorism concerns are exaggerated by liberals to police conservative thought.—
Hannah Allam,
ProPublica,
31 May 2025
Verb
-
Scam warnings have been issued in multiple states over criminals pretending to be from the Department of Motor Vehicles.—
Theo Burman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 June 2025
-
And by the 1930s, some of the parties, particularly Nazi Germany, merely pretended to abide by treaty limits.—
Eric S. Edelman,
Foreign Affairs,
3 June 2025
Adjective
-
The couple misspelled words a few times during their mock challenge against him.—
Joey Nolfi Published,
EW.com,
2 June 2025
-
Know the difference by testing candidates in mock sales situations.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2025
Noun
-
After his arrest, Duffy had faked amnesia and sought asylum in a psychiatric hospital, where doctors prevented the police from interrogating him, but the pretense of the amnesia was exposed at the trial by his ex-wife and a friend.—
Sarah Beckwith,
New Yorker,
26 May 2025
-
May 8 Theft by false pretense: Someone contacted a Saratoga resident, claiming to be a member of the Federal Trade Commission.—
Anne Gelhaus,
Mercury News,
23 May 2025
Noun
-
However, the thought occurs to me, having stopped off last summer in Cannes on the glittering coast of the South of France, that increasingly all these places are rapidly becoming a parody of themselves and their own brands.—
James Fallon,
Footwear News,
24 May 2025
-
After initial opposition, studios threw their support behind the bill when language was updated to carve out exclusions for projects such as documentaries and biographical works, or for purposes of comment, criticism, or parody, among others.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
21 May 2025
Verb
-
David Greenbaum, president of Disney Live Action, donned a blue lei.—
Brooks Barnes,
New York Times,
2 June 2025
-
After some good-natured interaction with the enthusiastic crowd, Cena eventually donned the mask.—
Andrew Ravens,
MSNBC Newsweek,
2 June 2025
Adjective
-
There’s a backdrop of fake news and collective anxiety.—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
5 June 2025
-
Federal agents concluded that many of the documents, which were turned over by an attorney representing the restaurant, were fake or falsified, according to the warrant.—
Roxana Popescu,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
4 June 2025
Noun
-
Drop the facade to create space for genuine connection.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes.com,
5 June 2025
-
Guests can opt for a cozy movie night by deploying the large projector screen that rolls down, doubling as blackout blinds that cover the glass facade.—
Kimberley Mok,
Travel + Leisure,
3 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Put on.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/put%20on. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
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