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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of put on
Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 26 Oct. 2025
Still, Tagovailoa put on a masterful performance against the Falcons, completing 77% of his passes for 205 yards and four touchdowns.
—Miami Herald, 26 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
For about 4 minutes in the second quarter, Blair put on a show, boosting TCA to a 21-0 halftime lead.
—Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 26 Oct. 2025
Still, Tagovailoa put on a masterful performance against the Falcons, completing 77% of his passes for 205 yards and four touchdowns.
—Miami Herald, 26 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
-
In the series, Gacy enjoyed talking about many of his accomplishments and exaggerating some of his stories.—
Caroline Blair,
PEOPLE,
20 Oct. 2025
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Critics have also said that political portrayals of Antifa as a unified or centrally directed domestic terror group exaggerate its organization and influence.—
Billal Rahman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Tapping into his State Farm acting chops on fourth down while leading 7-0, Mahomes pretended to be frustrated with a Reid play-call before handing the ball off.—
Pete Sweeney,
Kansas City Star,
21 Oct. 2025
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In the finale, Brandis pretends not to see the million-dollar stash in Maeve's possession and zips the bag back up, looking up as birds sing.—
Bryan Alexander,
USA Today,
20 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Continue reading … KEEPS ON GIVING – Joe Rogan and Andrew Schulz mock Harris' claim of people calling her most qualified presidential candidate.—
,
FOXNews.com,
21 Oct. 2025
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Well, this mock neck zipped jacket is a far more flattering, wearable option that’s currently sporting a $20 price tag and a full range of sizes.—
Merrell Readman,
Travel + Leisure,
18 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Workers in the scam compounds are often trafficked from third countries, usually under the pretense of a lucrative job offer, and then forced to scam people online with investment pitches or romantic ploys.—
Mithil Aggarwal,
NBC news,
23 Oct. 2025
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All of Beaton’s extravagance, artifice and pretence stemmed from him trying to become something he was never born into.—
Hikmat Mohammed,
Footwear News,
20 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Regretting You is a similarly ridiculous and overwrought slice of melodrama, leavened with strange moments of comedy that leave you wondering if the whole thing isn’t some kind of bizarre art project, an elaborate, camp parody of the very notion of romantic literature itself.—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
22 Oct. 2025
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This semester's show is a musical parody of Love Island called Love on an Island.—
Hannah Sacks,
PEOPLE,
20 Oct. 2025
Verb
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But the buzz among attendees was the reimagination of donning a thobe.—
Manal Albarakati,
semafor.com,
24 Oct. 2025
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In the group selfie, Schumer donned a chic black button-down minidress with matching high heels.—
Edward Segarra,
USA Today,
24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Ryan Scully scored on a 44-yard fake punt and Ethan Polloreno returned an interception for a score.—
John Maffei,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Oct. 2025
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Instead, the Pack ran a laughably bad fake-kick play — on fourth-and-17, no less.—
Jim Keyser,
Idaho Statesman,
25 Oct. 2025
Noun
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On Monday, The Washington Post reported that his construction crews have begun demolishing the facade of the White House’s East Wing to build a ballroom.—
Michelle Goldberg,
Mercury News,
23 Oct. 2025
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On Wednesday, the team announced the creation of a new way to evaluate the performance of photoactive materials for semi-transparent organic photovoltaics (ST-OPVs), which could transform how energy is harvested through everyday surfaces like windows, screens, and facades.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
23 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Put on.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/put%20on. Accessed 28 Oct. 2025.
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