put-on

1 of 3

adjective

put-on

2 of 3

noun

1
: an instance of putting someone on
conversational put-ons are related to old-fashioned joshingJacob Brackman
2
: parody, spoof
a kind of put-on of every pretentious film ever madeC. A. Ridley

put on

3 of 3

verb

put on; putting on; puts on

transitive verb

1
a
: to dress oneself in : don
b
: to make part of one's appearance or behavior
c
: feign
put a saintly manner on
2
: to cause to act or operate : apply
put on more speed
3
a
: add
put on weight
4
: perform, produce
put on a play
5
a
: to mislead deliberately especially for amusement
the interviewer … must be put down—or possibly, put onMelvin Maddocks
b
: kid entry 3 sense 1
you're putting me on

Examples of put-on in a Sentence

Adjective a put-on goofy voice Noun my bravery was all a put-on—I was scared out of my wits for a moment, I couldn't tell if the commercial was serious or a deadpan put-on of ads by other insurance companies Verb I put on a coat and shoes to go outside. some critics are putting it on when they say it's the best comedy ever made
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
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 In the end, as Reno and the reader may have sensed all along, her detachment is just another performance, a cool-girl put-on not so different from Rachel K’s burlesque. Lily Meyer, The Atlantic, 3 Sep. 2024
Verb
Having said that, no new hearing has been put on the calendar yet. Dominic Patten, Deadline, 22 Nov. 2024 Roger, a 6-year-old tan and white Kangal shepherd mix, was put on the euthanasia list this fall. Dakota Smith, Los Angeles Times, 22 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for put-on 

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

circa 1625, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1919, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of put-on was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near put-on

Cite this Entry

“Put-on.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/put-on. Accessed 7 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

put-on

1 of 2 noun
ˈpu̇t-ˌȯn,
-ˌän
1
: a false appearance or presentation
my bravery was all a put-on
2
: a joke in which someone is fooled

put on

2 of 2 verb
(ˈ)pu̇t-ˈȯn,
-ˈän
1
a
: to dress oneself in
b
: to make part of one's appearance or behavior
c
: pretend entry 1 sense 1
put on a show of anger
2
: exaggerate, overstate
they're putting it on when they make such claims
3
: perform sense 3b, produce
put on an entertaining act
4
: kid entry 2 sense 1, fool
you're putting me on
put-on adjective
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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