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
Pol Ballús, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2025
Evansville's West Side Nut Club puts on an autumn extravaganza that dwarfs others by comparison, according to rankings provided by USA TODAY.
—John Tufts, IndyStar, 29 Sep. 2025
Sheldon Pearce, The New Yorker, 21 Mar. 2025
But this isn’t what irks rage’s older detractors, who grew up loving Dr. Dre and knew the misogyny of 2001 was not the put-on some of the gun talk might’ve been.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 18 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for put on
Verb
Sunday’s win also reaffirmed that Pedri, who put on another midfield masterclass, is in the form of his life, and that Marcus Rashford is still progressing very positively.
—Pol Ballús, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2025
Evansville's West Side Nut Club puts on an autumn extravaganza that dwarfs others by comparison, according to rankings provided by USA TODAY.
—John Tufts, IndyStar, 29 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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
But this isn’t what irks rage’s older detractors, who grew up loving Dr. Dre and knew the misogyny of 2001 was not the put-on some of the gun talk might’ve been.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 18 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for put on
Recent Examples of Synonyms for put on
Verb
-
Our foul, flatulent father-figure may exaggerate a bit when belittling his enemies (and friends, for that matter), but cloaked under his aura of filth — like an adult Pig-Pen’s toxic dust cloud — rests a core truth.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
24 Sep. 2025
-
Over half, or 51 percent, admitted to exaggerating their financial success, with Gen Z (54 percent) leading the way compared to millennials (48 percent).—
Suzanne Blake,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Kids can pretend to be Chase on a case, but there are also other Paw Patrol Halloween costumes, including Marshall, Rocky, Rubble, Skye, Zuma, and Everest.—
Katrina Cossey,
Parents,
1 Oct. 2025
-
Beneath the prosthetics and punchlines lies a story about the cost of pretending and the possibility of renewal.—
JP Mangalindan,
Time,
30 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Owain Jones of Pro Football Network has suggested Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer as a potential option for the Steelers in his new mock draft.—
Evan Massey,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Sep. 2025
-
New research found that the technology underpinning a slew of artificial intelligence models is now advanced enough to pass even the most difficult – Level III – mock exams in a matter of minutes.—
Leslie Picker,
CNBC,
24 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
But at least those entities are populated by people who are curious about art and culture—these OFFLINE events have no such pretense.—
Kieran Press-Reynolds,
Pitchfork,
24 Sep. 2025
-
Gregory and Gerner were arrested and charged with felony counts of injury to an energy facility and felony counts of obtaining property by false pretense, deputies said.—
Paloma Chavez,
Charlotte Observer,
24 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Filming has now wrapped on the adaptation of Tom Sainsbury’s iHeartRadio NZ true-crime parody podcast of the same name.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
23 Sep. 2025
-
His prediction prompted videos, testimonials and parodies on TikTok.—
Brendan Cole,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The Chad Powers character is based on a viral skit from 2022, where Eli Manning donned prosthetics and the name to go uncover at Penn State and try out for their team.—
Kirsten Chuba,
HollywoodReporter,
26 Sep. 2025
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Sophia Agnella Anita Stolz Stolz proved to be a proponent of current beauty trends, donning barely there eyebrows at the Blumarine show in Milan on Friday.—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
26 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Sandu’s reelection came amidst an election that was laced with allegations of Russian interference and was marred by fake bomb threats.—
Rajeev Tyagi,
ABC News,
29 Sep. 2025
-
Jessica Guistolise, Megan Hurley and Molly Kelley talk with CNBC in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on July 11, 2025, about fake pornographic images and videos depicting their faces made by their mutual friend Ben using AI site DeepSwap.—
Jonathan Vanian,
CNBC,
28 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The concrete steps and ramp will be demolished, but the building's exterior facade will remain.—
La Risa R. Lynch,
jsonline.com,
23 Sep. 2025
-
Derry, Maine, may have the facade of a quaint, picturesque town, but with Pennywise lurking below, its residents would likely argue otherwise.—
Katie Campione,
Deadline,
23 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Put on.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/put%20on. Accessed 1 Oct. 2025.
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