made-up 1 of 2

adjective

ˈmād-ˈəp How to pronounce made-up (audio)
Definition of made-upnext
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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

made up

2 of 2

verb

past tense of make up
1
as in comprised
to be all the substance of the book is made up of 20 chapters

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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

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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"

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of made-up
Adjective
That story was 100 percent insane and made-up, and not a word of it is true. — Mekishana Pierre, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Feb. 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
Verb
Only 7% of the agency’s nearly $60 million budget is made up from grants outside of the city’s budget. — Trinity Webster-Bass, Miami Herald, 30 Sep. 2026 Rooms Since its 2023 renovation, the hotel’s capacity decreased from 104 rooms to just 80, made up of 44 rooms and 36 suites, all of which have gained a generous amount of space. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for made-up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for made-up
  1. fictitious
  2. comprised
  3. devised
  4. built
  5. imaginary
  6. composed
  7. concocted
  8. constructed
Adjective
  • The series will be set in a fictitious Barneys in Beverly Hills, not New York, and the real founding family of the retailer, the Pressman family, has no involvement, the spokesperson said.
    — Jean E. Palmieri, Footwear News, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Dempsey appeared in Disney’s fantasy romance Enchanted (2007) as Robert Philip, a New York divorce lawyer whose orderly life is disrupted by the arrival of a fairy-tale princess (played by Amy Adams) from the fictitious land of Andalasia.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of fictitious
Verb
  • The 2026 Narrative, Animated and Documentary Shorts jury comprised Daniel Crooke, Max Geschwind and Laura Henneman.
    — Matthew Carey, Deadline, 11 Oct. 2026
  • The rankings considered four factors which comprised the districts’ student racial diversity index, parent/student surveys on culture and diversity, the percent of economically disadvantaged students and gender diversity.
    — Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of comprised
Verb
  • In 2020, Disney devised a range of bespoke telecasts of a Wild Card game, one tailored for younger viewers on the company’s Freeform cable outlet.
    — Brian Steinberg, Variety, 11 Oct. 2026
  • Gene regulation wasn’t understood when Waddington first devised his landscape and rope network.
    — Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of devised
Verb
  • The third suspect acknowledged receiving the paintings at his home and hiding them behind a wall built beneath a staircase after the theft.
    — SYLVIE CORBET, Arkansas Online, 13 Oct. 2026
  • The former is an actor, wellness entrepreneur and influencer while Church is a veteran of the beverage business who previously built Suja Organic.
    — Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of built
Adjective
  • This comes after the league rescinded fines levied against 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk and Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson for pretending to chug an imaginary drink.
    — Matt Reigle OutKick, FOXNews.com, 11 Oct. 2026
  • Still, her father’s dinner does not erase his refusal to recognize her gender; his refusal does not make the dinner or hospital bill imaginary.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of imaginary
Verb
  • Quarterback Jayden Maiava and a receivers group coping with injuries will need to keep USC’s offense composed amid the hostile crowd.
    — Jordan Puente, Los Angeles Times, 10 Oct. 2026
  • Neither was having fits; indeed, both seemed remarkably composed, given the circumstances.
    — Jon Allsop, New Yorker, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of composed
Verb
  • The White Sox concocted a creative playing style that blended elements of old-school small ball with home-run power.
    — Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Martha’s concocted plenty over the years, including her cider-bourbon cocktail made with apple cider, bourbon, lemon juice, ginger, and apple garnishes.
    — Wendy Rose Gould, Martha Stewart, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of concocted
Verb
  • Hirose, who also writes and edits, has constructed a brilliantly volatile scenario, vulnerable to any number of potentially explosive and destructive dramatic developments.
    — Guy Lodge, Variety, 11 Oct. 2026
  • Related Articles Her home in the West Village was constructed in the 1920s as a residential hotel with most of the units being used as studios or one-bedroom apartments.
    — Hikmat Mohammed, ARTnews.com, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of constructed

Browse Nearby Words

made tracks
made-up
made up
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Cite this Entry

“Made-up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/made-up. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

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