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
Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 12 Jan. 2026
But when Emmanwori suffered an ankle injury in Week 1, Macdonald's plan was put on hold for a month.
—Mike Sando, New York Times, 12 Jan. 2026
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
And when Bichette puts on another team’s cap and signs on their dotted line, the Red Sox will pivot again.
—Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 12 Jan. 2026
But when Emmanwori suffered an ankle injury in Week 1, Macdonald's plan was put on hold for a month.
—Mike Sando, New York Times, 12 Jan. 2026
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
-
Allegations that are now spreading online could be misinterpreting records or exaggerating minor issues — or could be exposing actual fraudulent activity.—
Jude Joffe-Block,
NPR,
7 Jan. 2026
-
For instance, Venus opposing Jupiter retrograde can exaggerate desires or emotional spending, while the sun, Mars and Mercury opposing Jupiter can result in overextension or impulsive decision-making.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
5 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
To pretend as if everyone doesn’t recognize him.—
Mirin Fader,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Parents reported that their children loved playing with the original Nékojita FuFu, pretending to fan their faces and blow-dry their hair.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
6 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The semi-annual sale includes so many elegant staples, such as mock-neck cardigans, jackets with unique embellishments, and comfortable pants that look super polished — all starting at just $20.—
Rachel Trujillo,
PEOPLE,
9 Jan. 2026
-
She’s arrived early for her first shift and has already started the residents and med students on some training by way of mock codes.—
Maggie Fremont,
Vulture,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
This week’s truncating of the schedule removed whatever pretense remained that Kennedy’s HHS would respect the scientific process for making decisions about vaccines even when that process was dominated by allies who had already taken action to roll back recommendations.—
Grayson Logue,
Washington Post,
9 Jan. 2026
-
But gone are the days when those books were displayed to show off the intellect and interests of their owners — and with it, the pretense, at least, that their owners had read them.—
Judith Martin,
Mercury News,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The three-year Off-Broadway hit is a parody of the classic film Titanic, imagining the story as if Celine Dion were narrating it.—
Lexi Carson,
HollywoodReporter,
8 Jan. 2026
-
Maduro played the song at so many events that Chavistas (or Maduro supporters) began to claim it as pro-Maduro, even though Santana made it as a parody of the president.—
Tomás Mier,
Rolling Stone,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Therefore, Allen will have to don the cape once again.—
Mike Jones,
New York Times,
10 Jan. 2026
-
Another local will be donning a green and white kit.—
Kyle Newman,
Denver Post,
10 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The board cited recent state and federal decisions, which have both noted the issue of AI programs citing fake legal citations is growing.—
William Melhado,
Sacbee.com,
13 Jan. 2026
-
Howze, who has schizophrenia, was also able to escape the hospital following the incident, only to be return a few days later wearing a visitor’s pass with a fake name.—
Colleen Cronin,
Boston Herald,
12 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
As for the space itself, Cartier is honoring the building’s history by highlighting the Royal Poinciana’s original façade, a Regency Revival design by architect John Volk (which in 2008 was declared historic by Palm Beach’s Landmark Preservation Commission).—
Laurie Brookins,
Travel + Leisure,
15 Jan. 2026
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Google Cloud is advertising its own event aimed at helping Chinese firms expand globally, with a rare building-sized poster on the facade of a hotel overlooking downtown Beijing’s main thoroughfare.—
Evelyn Cheng,
CNBC,
14 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Put on.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/put%20on. Accessed 16 Jan. 2026.
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