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
Ew Staff, Entertainment Weekly, 1 Nov. 2025
Stronger muscles can reduce the stress and impact put on cartilage during daily activities, helping prevent further wear and tear.
—Jakob Roze, Health, 31 Oct. 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
Tessa Thompson, Mariska Hargitay, Brendan Fraser, and more attend the annual Georgia celebration, put on by the Savannah College of Art and Design.
—Ew Staff, Entertainment Weekly, 1 Nov. 2025
Stronger muscles can reduce the stress and impact put on cartilage during daily activities, helping prevent further wear and tear.
—Jakob Roze, Health, 31 Oct. 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
-
The Lightspeed survey shows 84% of shoppers believe retailers inflate prices ahead of the sales to exaggerate discounts.—
Sydney Lake,
Fortune,
5 Nov. 2025
-
Tainy’s Prometheus — is portrayed by Feid, dressed in an oversized leather coat and lit in a manner that exaggerates his grills in an eerie way.—
Juan J. Arroyo,
Rolling Stone,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Words like that carry generations of pain, and pretending otherwise only keeps the cycle going.—
Lisa Respers France,
CNN Money,
3 Nov. 2025
-
Prosecutors said Montejano pretended to be a teenage boy on Snapchat, asked the girls to meet him in a public area at the apartment complex before forcing the girls into his apartment.—
Rosalio Ahumada,
Sacbee.com,
3 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
What really makes the dress stand out is its chic details, which includes a structured seam around the waist, gold-tone decorative buttons, and a mock neckline.—
Alicia Geigel,
Southern Living,
5 Nov. 2025
-
The eye-rolling, groaning, mock-despair brings the group together.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
5 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
His memoir told of workhouse guards beating prisoners on the least pretense, and of one guard who regularly shoved prisoners down flights of stairs.—
Equal Justice Initiative,
USA Today,
6 Nov. 2025
-
The Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime said in a May report that women from more than 20 African countries had been recruited under false pretences to make drones for Russia’s war.—
Reuters 16 hr ago,
CNN Money,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
The second posting of the parody quickly received 500,000 views and once again caught Wendy’s attention.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
5 Nov. 2025
-
The inspirations for the Love Connection parody were Miami Vice's Tubbs and Crockett, though Hall acknowledged her most immediate lookalike.—
Lex Goldstein,
PEOPLE,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The couple — romantically linked since 2021 — dressed as art and fashion icons Andy Warhol and Edie Sedgwick, donning wigs and costumes reminiscent of their looks from the 1965 New York Film Festival.—
Diana Pearl,
PEOPLE,
31 Oct. 2025
-
This juxtaposition is seen on the collaboration, with the left shoe donning a white leather base and using precise, high-resolution imagery.—
Riley Jones,
Footwear News,
31 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Cybercriminals often use fake promotional emails or ads that look like real store offers.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
2 Nov. 2025
-
The cohost brought up the astronaut during a discussion of Kim Kardashian's claim that the moon landing was fake.—
Joey Nolfi,
Entertainment Weekly,
1 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
While no major changes to the building's facade are anticipated, the project calls for a one-story addition to its north annex.—
Hannah Kirby,
jsonline.com,
6 Nov. 2025
-
The money, the success — all a facade.—
Becca Longmire,
PEOPLE,
6 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Put on.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/put%20on. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.
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