as in fictitious
not real and existing only in the imagination
the bogeyman was one of those made-up monsters whose sole purpose was to threaten children
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in comprised
to be all the substance of
the book is made up of 20 chapters
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in devised
to create or think of by clever use of the imagination
she keeps making up excuses as to why she hasn't yet finished the project
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in built
to form by putting together parts or materials
we'll have to make up the bookcase, which came in a box marked "some assembly required"
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of made-up
Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 4 Mar. 2026
Cook said his team detected a variety of age manipulation: synthetic fraud, in which real, stolen and made-up information is used to create a new identity; identity fraud; and document fraud.
—Nick Penzenstadler, USA Today, 13 Feb. 2026
That story was 100 percent insane and made-up, and not a word of it is true.
—Mekishana Pierre, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Feb. 2026
Vietnam had an imaginary Gulf of Tonkin attack; Trump has made-up drug cartels.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 14 Jan. 2026
And there's not one right way to do it, considering the holiday is made-up and the real thing is just around the corner.
—Rachel Treisman, NPR, 19 Nov. 2025
And while OpenAI’s defenders could chalk that up to an isolated or even made-up incident, within 24 hours of the GPT-5 launch Altman was doing damage control, seemingly caught of guard by the bad reception.
—Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2025
Because a lot of things on reality TV are made-up situations and scenarios to provoke reactions and all of that stuff.
—Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 2 Aug. 2025
Something more insidious is at play with all of the half-baked or made-up statistics.
—Lisa Jarvis, Mercury News, 6 June 2025
Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 14 May 2026
Regardless, much of the developing world is made up of much younger countries, with populations in Africa, for example, at much lower risk of serious outcomes from COVID-19 than elderly individuals with comorbidities in the United States or Western Europe.
—Ian Miller Outkick, FOXNews.com, 8 May 2026
His district currently is made up of nearly 50% Black voters and provided a greater than 60% vote for Democrat Kamala Harris in 2024 presidential election.
—Travis Loller, Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2026
Fitbit made up about 6% of the global wristband market in 2025, followed by Whoop at 2%, according to data from IDC.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 7 May 2026
After a five-month, 120-game regular season featuring record crowds, women’s hockey enjoying a significant post-Olympic boost and with more expansion on the horizon, the Walter Cup playoff semifinalists are made up exclusively of the league’s old guard.
—John Wawrow, Twin Cities, 30 Apr. 2026
The game will be made up on Thursday as part of a split doubleheader.
—Laura Fay, CBS News, 29 Apr. 2026
The guidelines were approved last year by a controversial German church governing body made up of the German bishops’ conference and a Catholic lay group that has been working to have a greater say in church decision-making.
—Nicole Winfield, Fortune, 23 Apr. 2026
Dreamy beds are made up with covetable Rivolta Carmignani linens.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Apr. 2026
Adjective
During his interview, Newsom spoke about his ongoing and very public feud with Trump, who received the inaugural (and made-up) FIFA Peace Prize in December.
—Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 4 Mar. 2026
Cook said his team detected a variety of age manipulation: synthetic fraud, in which real, stolen and made-up information is used to create a new identity; identity fraud; and document fraud.
—Nick Penzenstadler, USA Today, 13 Feb. 2026
That story was 100 percent insane and made-up, and not a word of it is true.
—Mekishana Pierre, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Feb. 2026
Vietnam had an imaginary Gulf of Tonkin attack; Trump has made-up drug cartels.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 14 Jan. 2026
And there's not one right way to do it, considering the holiday is made-up and the real thing is just around the corner.
—Rachel Treisman, NPR, 19 Nov. 2025
And while OpenAI’s defenders could chalk that up to an isolated or even made-up incident, within 24 hours of the GPT-5 launch Altman was doing damage control, seemingly caught of guard by the bad reception.
—Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2025
Because a lot of things on reality TV are made-up situations and scenarios to provoke reactions and all of that stuff.
—Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 2 Aug. 2025
Something more insidious is at play with all of the half-baked or made-up statistics.
—Lisa Jarvis, Mercury News, 6 June 2025
Verb
The rest of the cast is also made up of non-professional actors.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 14 May 2026
Regardless, much of the developing world is made up of much younger countries, with populations in Africa, for example, at much lower risk of serious outcomes from COVID-19 than elderly individuals with comorbidities in the United States or Western Europe.
—Ian Miller Outkick, FOXNews.com, 8 May 2026
His district currently is made up of nearly 50% Black voters and provided a greater than 60% vote for Democrat Kamala Harris in 2024 presidential election.
—Travis Loller, Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2026
Fitbit made up about 6% of the global wristband market in 2025, followed by Whoop at 2%, according to data from IDC.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 7 May 2026
After a five-month, 120-game regular season featuring record crowds, women’s hockey enjoying a significant post-Olympic boost and with more expansion on the horizon, the Walter Cup playoff semifinalists are made up exclusively of the league’s old guard.
—John Wawrow, Twin Cities, 30 Apr. 2026
The game will be made up on Thursday as part of a split doubleheader.
—Laura Fay, CBS News, 29 Apr. 2026
The guidelines were approved last year by a controversial German church governing body made up of the German bishops’ conference and a Catholic lay group that has been working to have a greater say in church decision-making.
—Nicole Winfield, Fortune, 23 Apr. 2026
Dreamy beds are made up with covetable Rivolta Carmignani linens.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for made-up
Adjective
-
He is charged with one count of unlawful voting by aliens and one count of the procurement, casting, or tabulation of ballots that are known to be materially false, fictitious, or fraudulent under state law.—
Louis Casiano,
FOXNews.com,
19 May 2026
-
The complaint also alleged payroll fraud, claiming that fictitious employees were being issued paper checks that were delivered to museum insiders.—
Brian Boucher,
ARTnews.com,
19 May 2026
Verb
-
The rest of the world comprised colonial possessions of the European states and Japan, a few large land empires, and many small principalities.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 May 2026
-
The massive stage comprised three ramps extending the length of a football field that were frequently alight in a Candyland of colors and two oversized video screens flanking a metallic structure that looked like an inverted ski jump.—
Melissa Ruggieri,
USA Today,
16 May 2026
Verb
-
The initial voting rules for the National Baseball Hall of Fame were devised in 1936 by its’ board of directors, led by National League President Ford Frick.—
Chuck Murr,
Forbes.com,
17 May 2026
-
Wealthy people have also devised tax avoidance strategies.—
Nathaniel Meyersohn,
CNN Money,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
Her mother, Sara Spalding, attended Yale Law School and built a successful career for herself before ultimately deciding to stay home and raise her four kids.—
Tereza Shkurtaj,
PEOPLE,
24 May 2026
-
Game 1, when the Cavs built a 22-point lead against a rusty Knicks team before collapsing during a devastating 44-11 New York run.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
24 May 2026
Adjective
-
But his idealized vision of a past paradise of social cohesion that late-stage capitalism destroyed doesn’t reckon with the snakes that were always there in this imaginary Eden, including a personal betrayal that’s close to home and only comes slithering out in a moment of drunken weakness.—
Leslie Felperin,
HollywoodReporter,
22 May 2026
-
Then Flores had Colemenares show him how to field a ground ball with an imaginary ball in class.—
Eric Sondheimer,
Los Angeles Times,
22 May 2026
Verb
-
Every product was determined to have excelled in each category by our editorial team, which is composed of in-house writers and editors as well as contributors—along with special consideration from dermatologists.—
Christa Joanna Lee,
Allure,
22 May 2026
-
The Russian patrol vessel Neustrahimiy arrives at Havana harbor on July 27, 2024, as part of a fleet composed of the training ship Smolniy and the offshore oil tanker Yelnya.—
Sam Meredith,
CNBC,
22 May 2026
Verb
-
Their fragrances were always concocted around a storyline.—
Jennifer Weil,
Footwear News,
20 May 2026
-
Cocktails are concocted by in-house mixologist, Waguinho, who also invites guests from the local mixology community to arrange tastings.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 May 2026
Verb
-
Dishes are imaginatively constructed, packed with flavor, and beautifully presented.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
23 May 2026
-
According to Page Six, the piece was not constructed from the actual veil, but was a smaller replica that was created by Dolce & Gabbana and gifted to the couple to display in their home.—
Nicole Briese,
PEOPLE,
22 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Made-up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/made-up. Accessed 24 May. 2026.
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