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
Relevance
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
Noun
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The three-week experiment marks a turning point for the 10-year-old brand, which has built a loyal following through accessible prices and high-touch customer initiatives, including client trunk shows.—
Maliha Shoaib,
Vogue,
12 Mar. 2026 -
The additional shows will push the veteran metal band even further into 2027, with new the latest dates slated for March 4 & 6 and March 11 & 13.—
Gil Kaufman,
Billboard,
11 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Way better than dusty game show and dinner party spoofs.—
Andy Hoglund,
Entertainment Weekly,
18 Jan. 2026
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What’s Upstairs at the Downstairs is always a patchwork of mild satire, blatant spoofs, witty music, local jokes.—
Laird Borrelli-Persson,
Vogue,
21 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
The adults were arrested on suspicion of theft from an elder, theft by false pretenses, conspiracy, contracting without a license and other offenses.—
Tim Fang,
CBS News,
6 Mar. 2026
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Yet even as Starbucks attempts to refocus on coffee by moving away from desserts masquerading as drinks, newer chains are making no pretenses about selling beverages that can easily tide someone over through a mealtime or two.—
Yasmin Tayag,
The Atlantic,
3 Mar. 2026
Noun
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There have been countless parodies of the mega-viral ad and lots of unofficial merch created in its honor.—
Shania Russell,
Entertainment Weekly,
3 Mar. 2026
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How are the parodies recreated?—
Kate Perez,
USA Today,
14 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
This moment will come in many guises.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Mar. 2026
-
Both marques returned to the competition this year in new guises.—
Viju Mathew,
Robb Report,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The alert follows multiple unconfirmed social media reports appearing to capture Iranian Shahed drones slamming into the facades of large buildings near Bahrain’s capital, Manama.—
Dan Mangan,Leslie Josephs,Spencer Kimball,CJ Haddad,Justin Papp,Jordan Novet,
CNBC,
28 Feb. 2026
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These aren’t just pretty facades.—
Lauren Schuster,
Kansas City Star,
26 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
By mimicking each other’s body poses.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
10 Mar. 2026
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Working from home poses some unique challenges that are not necessarily present when commuting to an office each day.—
Metro Creative Services,
Boston Herald,
9 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The show will be available to stream with a regular Hulu subscription Sunday, the day after a new episode airs.—
Kaycee Sloan,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
7 Mar. 2026
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The matchup airs on Gulf Coast Sports, Pelicans+, AZFamily, and Suns+.—
Data Skrive,
New York Times,
7 Mar. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Put-ons.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/put-ons. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.
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