put-ons

noun

plural of put-on
1
as in shows
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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in spoofs
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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for put-ons
  1. shows
  2. spoofs
  3. pretenses
  4. parodies
  5. guises
  6. facades
  7. poses
  8. airs
Noun
  • Two Lionel Messi shows followed — including his setting of the all-time World Cup goals record.
    — Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 July 2026
  • Others pointed out the selective nature of making a big statement about arrests at a Phish concert, while most other shows go unremarked upon.
    — Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 14 July 2026
Definition of shows
Noun
  • The goofy sketch comedies and homemade spoofs that once filled his channel gradually disappeared, replaced by melancholy short films and bleak monologues.
    — Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 27 June 2026
  • But given the current box office sensations of Obsession and Backrooms, Tiddes certainly wishes the timing had allowed for spoofs of those horror movies.
    — Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 17 June 2026
Definition of spoofs
Noun
  • Trimpey also faces a felony charge of obtaining money by false pretenses.
    — Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 2 July 2026
  • At school, Jin’s oldest daughter, Jane, teams up with a Black classmate, one of few, to expose their neighbors’ prejudices and pretenses.
    — The New Yorker, New Yorker, 29 June 2026
Definition of pretenses
Noun
  • Gordon has made a name for himself through parodies that channel different personas and genres.
    — Marc Malkin, Variety, 17 July 2026
  • Scary Movie paved the way for more big-screen parodies, including Date Movie (2006), Epic Movie (2007), and Meet the Spartans (2008).
    — Skyler Trepel, Entertainment Weekly, 27 June 2026
Definition of parodies
Noun
  • Somewhere between a sandal and a ballet flat, caged silhouettes come in all manner of guises.
    — Sarah Leigh Bannerman, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 July 2026
  • Footballing success, in differing guises, came a long time ago.
    — Adam Leventhal, New York Times, 10 June 2026
Definition of guises
Noun
  • Europe has long resisted air conditioning as noisy, an eyesore on architectural facades and unnecessary, as brutal summer heat has been relatively short-lived.
    — Anniek Bao,Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 2 July 2026
  • But while Duval Street’s colorful facades and lively restaurants attract the crowds, the best seat in town is arguably offshore.
    — Stephanie Orma, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026
Definition of facades
Noun
  • Growing awareness of the dangers social media poses for young, developing brains has shown up in a wave of new restrictions globally.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 13 July 2026
  • In photos from his visit to the festival in Warwickshire, England, Harry could be seen doing a variety of poses on his yoga mat while surrounded by curious goats and children wearing matching shirts.
    — Desiree Anello, PEOPLE, 12 July 2026
Definition of poses
Noun
  • Fox execs, it has been reported, feel NBCU has maneuvered around the restrictions and has an unfair route to viewers through Peacock, an English-language service where Telemundo programming airs.
    — Dade Hayes, Deadline, 15 July 2026
  • The new episode of Baylen Out Loud airs Tuesday, July 14 at 9 pm ET on TLC.
    — Vanessa Etienne, PEOPLE, 13 July 2026
Definition of airs
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.

Browse Nearby Words

put one's finger on
put-ons
put out
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Cite this Entry

“Put-ons.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/put-ons. Accessed 20 Jul. 2026.

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