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
Noun
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Now, after the fervor of those live shows, the All-American Rejects are back to recapture that energy with their fifth studio album, Sandbox.—
Maya Georgi,
Rolling Stone,
20 May 2026 -
The total viewer win for the season is NBC’s first since the 2001-02 season, when Friends and ER were two of the top three shows on TV.—
Rick Porter,
HollywoodReporter,
20 May 2026
Noun
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There would be more scripted and carefully choreographed moments in his TV spots for Calvin Klein jeans and Obsession, collaborations with the writer Doon Arbus (daughter of Diane and Allan Arbus) that took chances (and which, for some viewers, are inseparable from memorable spoofs on SNL).—
Sheri Linden,
HollywoodReporter,
17 May 2026
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The success of more straightforward spoofs such as Schaffer’s The Naked Gun last year is also reassuring; that film was a classic joke-a-minute throwback that largely worked (for both viewers and critics), more in line with the sort of fare that the Lonely Island made early on.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
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According to Placer Superior Court filings, one false pretenses count and the personal identifying information charge stemmed from a June 21, 2025, incident.—
Sean Campbell,
Sacbee.com,
20 May 2026
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Officials allege the group sold the oil under false pretenses and used the profits to sustain and expand the original food fraud scheme.—
Bonny Chu,
FOXNews.com,
19 May 2026
Noun
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His most viral videos include skits about dueling Drake and Kendrick Lamar tracks and parodies amplifying more serious lyrical messages in popular party music.—
Lia Russell,
Sacbee.com,
13 May 2026
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Broadway, top-heavy with musical parodies and attention-grabbing revivals, is having a strange season by all accounts.—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Berenger, a character who appears in different guises in several of his plays, is Ionesco’s version of Everyman.—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
13 May 2026
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Over the years, audiences have seen the Negotiator under many guises, like a martial arts expert, a cowboy, and even a mariachi musician.—
Colson Thayer,
PEOPLE,
12 May 2026
Noun
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All of the buildings have these facades that are intricately carved in Baroque and Rococo designs.—
AFAR Media,
AFAR Media,
11 May 2026
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Historic preservation is often dismissed as nostalgia, the hobby of people who prefer old facades to modern needs.—
Israel Melendez Ayala,
Time,
6 May 2026
Noun
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With just a few months remaining in his governorship, Newsom’s ability to bend the Legislature to his will is fading, so the question his new budget poses is whether legislators will go along.—
Dan Walters,
Mercury News,
19 May 2026
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But the unresolved questions about the risks AI poses for job losses, mental health issues and even humanity’s extinction served as a backdrop for the proceedings, with protesters decrying both Musk and Altman becoming a regular presence outside the federal courthouse.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
18 May 2026
Noun
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Now he’s gainfully employed and featured on the network nearly all year, including on a draft-centric studio show that airs every weekday afternoon for the ten weeks preceding the event.—
Dan Greene,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
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An impression that airs on the show can quickly become the default version for a broad audience, regardless of where similar ideas may have originated.—
Seth Abramovitch,
HollywoodReporter,
15 May 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 24 May. 2026.
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