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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At Thunder Valley Casino Resort’s The Venue, world-class musical artists, comedians and other entertainment shows will perform this year, according to the casino’s website.—
Camila Pedrosa,
Sacbee.com,
25 Mar. 2026 -
As the crash shows, air-traffic-control staffing is crucial to aviation safety.—
Colleen Mondor,
The Atlantic,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Retro Rewind players run a Blockbuster Video-like movie-rental store set in the early 1990s, complete with spoofs of real blockbusters of the era.—
Tony Maglio,
HollywoodReporter,
19 Mar. 2026
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Way better than dusty game show and dinner party spoofs.—
Andy Hoglund,
Entertainment Weekly,
18 Jan. 2026
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
-
How did Jane Lynch wind up in the YouTube ad parodies?—
Michael Schneider,
Variety,
16 Mar. 2026
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Countless memes and parodies have circulated online.—
Melina Khan,
USA Today,
9 Mar. 2026
Noun
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But sometimes the squashing of speech can appear in other guises.—
Andrea Valdez,
The Atlantic,
14 Mar. 2026
-
This moment will come in many guises.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Sofia Giulia Feriani’s 2025 research at the Technical University of Denmark documented exactly this effect—building facades acting as acoustic mirrors, amplifying sound at certain spots.—
Yook JiHun,
Popular Science,
26 Mar. 2026
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Via Mormino Penna is one of Sicily’s most theatrical streetscapes, lined with facades adorned with apotropaic masks, grotesque faces meant to ward off evil.—
Jenn Rice,
Vogue,
18 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Bad lighting and poor poses are the most likely causes of poor identification.—
Jim Fisher,
PC Magazine,
31 Mar. 2026
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Anthropic is particularly worried about the cybersecurity risks the model poses.—
Jeremy Kahn,
Fortune,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
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In September 2025, Disney suspended late night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel, whose program airs on ABC, after Kimmel suggested that right-wing influencer Charlie Kirk was killed by a fellow conservative.—
David Cortright,
The Conversation,
26 Mar. 2026
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The drama that launched with a major twist death airs weekly and repeated for two weeks as the top series on network or streaming in cross-platform ratings — earning a quick season two renewal from the network.—
Jackie Strause,
HollywoodReporter,
24 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 1 Apr. 2026.
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