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
During revaluations, any increase of more than 20% for a particular type of land over the previous valuation will automatically be reviewed by a committee made up of farmers, municipal leaders and assessors. — John Moritz, Hartford Courant, 24 Sep. 2026 According to the Cleveland Clinic, the barrier is the outer, dead-cell layer of skin made up of corneocytes, lipids, proteins and fats that keep water in and irritants out. — Hanna Wickes, Sacbee.com, 17 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 Swiss manufacturer has just unveiled a new lineup of Seamaster Diver 300Ms inspired by James Bond and Spectre, the fictitious crime org seen in the 007 flicks.
    — Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 5 Oct. 2026
  • The Russian security service’s Meliorator tool has been used to create over a thousand profiles of fictitious Americans, primarily on X (formerly Twitter), to spread Kremlin narratives at a fraction of the cost of human troll farms.
    — Seva Gunitsky, Foreign Affairs, 1 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 14 Oct. 2026.

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