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
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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
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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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of put on
Cecil Merkerson Iii, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Aug. 2025
Ahead of that season’s Ohio State-Penn State game, Corso put on Buckeyes mascot Brutus’ headgear and the rest was history.
—Ben Morse, CNN Money, 30 Aug. 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
This game against Ohio State, one of college football's best, was a great stage to put on display the young signal caller's talent.
—Cecil Merkerson Iii, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Aug. 2025
Ahead of that season’s Ohio State-Penn State game, Corso put on Buckeyes mascot Brutus’ headgear and the rest was history.
—Ben Morse, CNN Money, 30 Aug. 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 young family were the only people on the block who elected to ride out the storm, believing the stark warnings were being exaggerated.—
Curtis Bunn,
NBC news,
27 Aug. 2025
-
The fact that the company exaggerates the job numbers, as well as the true number of states where the plane produces a significant number of jobs does not alter the fact that economic arguments carry a lot of weight in Congressional decisions on weapons procurement.—
William Hartung,
Forbes.com,
26 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
But that injury was balanced out by years of creative play that kept my kids climbing, pretending, and running around with friends independently.—
Carrie Lukas,
Forbes.com,
2 Sep. 2025
-
Many businesses closing in Urfa were previously non-production businesses, established at zero cost with government incentives, used as warehouses while pretending to operate, and then declared bankrupt.—
Mayu Saini,
Sourcing Journal,
2 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The conversations, of course, were mock for journalistic purposes.—
Alyssa Goldberg,
USA Today,
4 Sep. 2025
-
The piping adds an athletic flair to the mock-neck sweater and sweatpant set, and small slits on the front of the hems add extra interest.—
Olivia Young,
Travel + Leisure,
1 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
But not everyone accepts that pretense.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
1 Sep. 2025
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But the Jiménezes’ work does not carry the pretense of purity.—
Ana Karina Zatarain,
New Yorker,
30 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Young Frankenstein is a parody of the horror genre, drawing inspiration from Mary Shelley’s 1818 novel, Frankenstein.—
Rosy Cordero,
Deadline,
2 Sep. 2025
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André settles in for a minute, riffing with O’Brien about his own series, a parody of late-night talk shows, which had recently premièred on Adult Swim.—
Chris Almeida,
New Yorker,
31 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Storm Breaker, donning black and white patterning, is probably the least attractive of the bunch (to me, anyway).—
Mitch Wallace,
Forbes.com,
4 Sep. 2025
-
The 1990 Academy Awards, notably, doubled as an Armani showcase, with five attendees donning his designs, namely Michelle Pfeiffer, Julia Roberts, Jodie Foster, Jessica Lange and Jessica Tandy.—
Merle Ginsberg,
HollywoodReporter,
4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The Federal Trade Commission issued an alert earlier in 2025 to encourage parents to talk to their children about the risks associated with responding to a fake text.—
Susan Tompor,
USA Today,
7 Sep. 2025
-
To make Reen feel comfortable and truly welcomed, Long’s entire extended family wore fake tattoo sleeves to the reunion.—
Tereza Shkurtaj,
PEOPLE,
7 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Yet, for some, their luxury vacations are all a facade.—
Lim Hui Jie,
CNBC,
4 Sep. 2025
-
Film Festival, shows the private turmoil behind the comedian’s affable facade.—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
4 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Put on.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/put%20on. Accessed 8 Sep. 2025.
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