as in dresses
to place on one's person
she donned her best gown for the ball
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Recent Examples of dons
Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 8 Apr. 2026
In another photo of the pair, Madonna and Morris walk side-by-side next to the canal as the singer rocks a furry coat and her boyfriend dons an all-black outfit.
—Natalia Senanayake, PEOPLE, 31 Mar. 2026
Alone and grieving the death of his Aunt May (Marisa Tomei), Peter dons a new comic-accurate red-and-blue suit and sets off once again to save the day.
—Jordan Moreau, Variety, 18 Mar. 2026
New York City — deliciously camp and jarringly nostalgic, especially when Bateman dons his signature Walkman.
—Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 10 Mar. 2026
Phoenix dons makeup and transforms, taking a disturbed disaster of a stand-up comedian down the dark and dangerous path to being a killer clown.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 9 Mar. 2026
Mader's is filled with Old-World charm from the outside to the dining room, an ornate space with Bavarian decor and a waitstaff that dons dirndls and lederhosen.
—Rachel Bernhard, jsonline.com, 6 Mar. 2026
The look in question was from the March 10, 1997 pilot episode ‘Welcome to the Hellmouth’, in which Buffy dons a blue button-down top over a white tank top, complete with a messy updo and wispy bangs.
—Glenn Garner, Deadline, 1 Mar. 2026
Chin puts her hair up in a bun, dons a shawl and essentially becomes her mother.
—Ross Raihala, Twin Cities, 6 Feb. 2026
Verb
But in the end, the gang manages to trick Soldier Boy into going for an empty tube while Frenchie dons a gas mask and pours out the virus.
—Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 8 Apr. 2026
In another photo of the pair, Madonna and Morris walk side-by-side next to the canal as the singer rocks a furry coat and her boyfriend dons an all-black outfit.
—Natalia Senanayake, PEOPLE, 31 Mar. 2026
Alone and grieving the death of his Aunt May (Marisa Tomei), Peter dons a new comic-accurate red-and-blue suit and sets off once again to save the day.
—Jordan Moreau, Variety, 18 Mar. 2026
New York City — deliciously camp and jarringly nostalgic, especially when Bateman dons his signature Walkman.
—Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 10 Mar. 2026
Phoenix dons makeup and transforms, taking a disturbed disaster of a stand-up comedian down the dark and dangerous path to being a killer clown.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 9 Mar. 2026
Mader's is filled with Old-World charm from the outside to the dining room, an ornate space with Bavarian decor and a waitstaff that dons dirndls and lederhosen.
—Rachel Bernhard, jsonline.com, 6 Mar. 2026
The look in question was from the March 10, 1997 pilot episode ‘Welcome to the Hellmouth’, in which Buffy dons a blue button-down top over a white tank top, complete with a messy updo and wispy bangs.
—Glenn Garner, Deadline, 1 Mar. 2026
Chin puts her hair up in a bun, dons a shawl and essentially becomes her mother.
—Ross Raihala, Twin Cities, 6 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dons
Verb
-
Betty, attempting to paper over her unthinkable loss, dresses Laura in her daughter’s clothes, gives her her daughter’s place at family meals, has her daughter’s bike fixed to Laura’s height.—
Holden Seidlitz,
New Yorker,
20 Mar. 2026
-
For the uninitiated—and those without this excellent Instagram on your Explore page—the Sciura is a Milanese woman who dresses elegantly and impeccably.—
Anna Cafolla,
Vogue,
1 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Almost immediately after releasing Einstein, Paliwal started receiving emails from professors chastising him for creating a tool seemingly designed to perpetuate academic fraud.—
Lila Shroff,
The Atlantic,
10 Apr. 2026
-
To identify books and compile the list, The Times surveyed more than 200 luminaries in the book and journalism worlds, including prize-winning authors, Man Booker Prize judges, Ivy League professors, literary agents and journalists, along with several zealous book clubs.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
There’s infectious joy and wonder as the Eridian who will come to be known as Rocky begins communicating with Ryland, at first with rudimentary signals and then with more complex language once Ryland rigs a translation device.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
No doctors appear to be facing consequences.—
Patrick Radden Keefe,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
-
The same groups pushing this measure are also behind Initiative 110, which would restrict certain health care for transgender youth, inserting politicians into private medical decisions that belong with families and their doctors.—
Mike Smith,
Denver Post,
12 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
There are no deans or Title IX officers intervening.—
Jennifer Wilson,
New Yorker,
12 Apr. 2026
-
Pageants, deans' lists, graduations or military enlistments are not accepted.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
12 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Black paired up with Marcello Hernández to play martial arts instructors who teach unorthodox self-defense methods.—
Omar L. Gallaga,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Apr. 2026
-
The courses are tied to the needs of the local economy, and many instructors are business owners or experts who work in the area and volunteer their time to work with the students.—
Jacqueline Munis,
Fortune,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The club puts on six other events through its event-management division, Shift Events, including the Triple Bypass.—
John Meyer,
Denver Post,
19 Mar. 2026
-
Ever optimistic, Mary puts on a happy face amid the chronic underemployment of her professor husband, Howard (Corey Stoll).—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Add this popular accent chair with a mid-century look that suits any space and comes with a pillow for lower back support.—
Jacqueline Tempera,
Better Homes & Gardens,
7 Apr. 2026
-
Some stuff suits you better, some stuff doesn’t.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
5 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dons.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dons. Accessed 16 Apr. 2026.
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