1
as in to throw (on)
to place on one's person
I put on a coat and shoes to go outside
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to exaggerate
to describe or express in too strong terms
some critics are putting it on when they say it's the best comedy ever made
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to pretend
to present a false appearance of
put on a show of anger just for fun
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in mock
lacking in natural or spontaneous quality
a put-on goofy voice
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in pretense
a display of emotion or behavior that is insincere or intended to deceive
my bravery was all a put-on—I was scared out of my wits
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in parody
a work that imitates and exaggerates another work for comic effect
for a moment, I couldn't tell if the commercial was serious or a deadpan put-on of ads by other insurance companies
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of put on
Ella Gonzales
may 8, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 May 2026
Chandee's deportation was put on hold for two weeks.
—Jeff Wagner, CBS News, 8 May 2026
Talie Smith, Forbes.com, 10 July 2025
With access to troves of archival footage, Braverman shows Kaufman transforming the very nature of comedy by launching the put-on into existential extremes.
—Sheldon Pearce, The New Yorker, 21 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for put on
Verb
The Meals with Meaning supper club is putting on a seven-course dinner on June 7 exclusively featuring Duong DeVille beef dishes.
—Ella Gonzales
may 8, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 May 2026
Chandee's deportation was put on hold for two weeks.
—Jeff Wagner, CBS News, 8 May 2026
Adjective
The most earnest-sounding campaign can feel like a put-on.
—Talie Smith, Forbes.com, 10 July 2025
With access to troves of archival footage, Braverman shows Kaufman transforming the very nature of comedy by launching the put-on into existential extremes.
—Sheldon Pearce, The New Yorker, 21 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for put on
Recent Examples of Synonyms for put on
Verb
-
Someone could leave out important details, exaggerate or accidentally confuse you without meaning to.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
11 May 2026
-
The league decided to introduce postgame flop fines in the 2012-13 season where plays were reviewed after games and those individuals were fined for exaggerating contact.—
Jon Root OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
Herbert's not going through the motions and pretending to be a relationship with a pop singer like some aging tight end.—
Sean Joseph OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
10 May 2026
-
The problem is what happens when couples pretend otherwise.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
10 May 2026
Adjective
-
The sprawling 85-acre facility used to train Atlanta’s police and firefighters includes a mock gas station, a train track with several rail cars, a firehouse, a horse stable, a seven-story burn tower and a 28-lane indoor shooting range.—
Shaddi Abusaid,
AJC.com,
12 May 2026
-
Adding the appropriate gothic touch to this Debra Hill production are John Lloyd’s dripping-with-mock-Victorian-splendor sets and John Morris’ delightfully tongue-in-cheek score.—
Kirk Ellis,
HollywoodReporter,
12 May 2026
Noun
-
In the movie, members of the narcotics unit face suspicion for allegedly stealing some of the money under false pretenses and for their own benefit.—
Michael Ruiz,
FOXNews.com,
11 May 2026
-
The company seems to have dropped any pretence of regular pricing.—
Janhoi McGregor,
Forbes.com,
9 May 2026
Noun
-
Both a parody of action films and a legitimately great action film on its own terms, this is one of the best genre hybrids of the aughts.—
Brian Tallerico,
Vulture,
11 May 2026
-
The film from Picturehouse has over 85K social followers on its parody Instagram account (@bboymalone212).—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
10 May 2026
Verb
-
His longtime partnership with PJ Harvey might have prepared him for an artist willing to don as many masks as Harding, who sometimes seems to be trying to fit in all of Harvey’s career personae into a single record.—
Jayson Greene,
Pitchfork,
8 May 2026
-
In another photo, Hough donned a snakeskin-print bikini while posing with friend in the back of a boat that was docked just off the beach.—
Ashley Hume,
FOXNews.com,
7 May 2026
Adjective
-
Ferro was arrested in May 2025 and found in possession of two firearms and a fake ID.—
Marc Ramirez,
USA Today,
8 May 2026
-
One tweet features an AI cover of a fake Slayr album called BURGERMAN that imagines him as a half-burger, half-human hybrid engulfed in a hellish flood of grease and cheese splatter.—
Kieran Press-Reynolds,
Pitchfork,
8 May 2026
Noun
-
Stay in a Former Warehouse Meantime, Gibson’s Warehouse is a boutique property with a history of its own, and one that dates to the early 1900s when this inn got its start as a warehouse with a brick façade.—
Erin Gifford,
Southern Living,
13 May 2026
-
This dual-purpose envelope combines functionality with expressive design, creating a facade that is both energy efficient and visually striking.—
Adam Williams
May 13,
New Atlas,
13 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Put on.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/put%20on. Accessed 15 May. 2026.
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