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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of put on
Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 7 Mar. 2026
But this time of year, that's not the product the NBA is putting on the court.
—Keith Romer, NPR, 6 Mar. 2026
Talie Smith, Forbes.com, 10 July 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for put on
Verb
The Yankee Ferry was put on the real estate market last summer.
—Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 7 Mar. 2026
But this time of year, that's not the product the NBA is putting on the court.
—Keith Romer, NPR, 6 Mar. 2026
Adjective
The most earnest-sounding campaign can feel like a put-on.
—Talie Smith, Forbes.com, 10 July 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for put on
Recent Examples of Synonyms for put on
Verb
-
AllHere had client school districts in different parts of the country, but authorities later alleged that AllHere exaggerated its business success.—
Howard Blume,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Mar. 2026
-
Christopher Carnahan, a Los Angeles police officer who was accused of skydiving and working out while also collecting disability benefits by exaggerating an on-duty work injury, was charged with two counts of felony insurance fraud, prosecutors said.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The Buffs, who open spring ball Monday, are full-speed ahead at pretending 2025 didn’t happen — so much so, in fact, that nearly half the roster, both coordinators and a chunk of the coaching staff are brand new.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
28 Feb. 2026
-
Kate Moss, Anok Yai, and Alex Consani were just three of the many famous names who walked down the runway, holding pretend cigarettes and real bags at the crook of their elbow — just like Paris Hilton, who sat front row next to her sister Nicky, did in the noughties.—
Elektra Kotsoni,
Vogue,
27 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Lo and behold, the signal for the mock galaxy was just as strong as the signal for CDG-2 was, even when the globular clusters were masked completely away.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
3 Mar. 2026
-
With that in mind and a week of intel collected, here’s The Denver Post’s second stab at a Broncos mock draft.—
Luca Evans,
Denver Post,
3 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
That exchange — brief, respectful, zero pretense — is part of what makes the content feel different from a standard celebrity interview.—
Ryan Brennan
March 3,
Charlotte Observer,
3 Mar. 2026
-
There was little pretense at closing time on Tuesday night, when the Milwaukee Bucks set about closing out the Miami Heat.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
25 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The performance includes a drag-a-licious parody play (with trivia contests, bingo and sing-alongs thrown in) as well as a Q&A session with creatives and other behind-the-scenes folks connected to the game-changing sitcom, which — by the way — was set in South Florida.—
Rod Stafford Hagwood,
Sun Sentinel,
26 Feb. 2026
-
Another was a parody of Cluely’s viral blind-date ad.—
Sam Kriss,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
At the 2026 Australian Open, for one, Osaka donned an exoskeletal look by Robert Wun that had the whole arena buzzing.—
Christian Allaire,
Vogue,
7 Mar. 2026
-
Idaho’s first professional soccer team will don a white-and-green away jersey for its first match.—
Idaho Statesman,
Idaho Statesman,
5 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Police listed multiple flags to watch out for, including Irish and British accents, saying many of the members are part of international rings of foreign nationals using fake business names.—
Tim Fang,
CBS News,
6 Mar. 2026
-
However, the best part of this entire charade was not Devens hiding a fake idol at Tribal Council.—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The hotel was knocked down in 2005 to make way for the Las Olas Beach Club condo, but the facade was preserved thanks to intervention by historic preservationists.—
Susannah Bryan,
Sun Sentinel,
4 Mar. 2026
-
Though the building’s façade still retains its iconic scalloped awning, the logo has been replaced with that of a high-end menswear store.—
Taran Dugal,
New Yorker,
4 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Put on.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/put%20on. Accessed 9 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
