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
-
Only a lucky few get to experience one of the most magical natural light shows.—
USA TODAY Network,
USA Today,
10 June 2026 -
The actor has previously starred in several movies and TV shows — including The Crow, Tom & Jerry, Heavyweight and This Town.—
Caroline Blair,
PEOPLE,
10 June 2026
Noun
-
Based on the Apple TV series, the fizzy throwback spoofs Golden Age musicals, and follows an on-the-rocks couple who are trapped in a town where people sing and dance incessantly.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
8 June 2026
-
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
Noun
-
For all the Court’s pretenses—all of its insistence on the rule of law, precedent, and good faith—many critics and supporters of the Roberts Court see the institution as an appendage of the Republican Party.—
Adam Serwer,
The Atlantic,
5 June 2026
-
Garcia-Hernandez was arrested on charges of theft of an elder adult, obtaining money by false pretenses, and attempted grand theft, along with an out-of-county warrant.—
Kassia Bonesteel,
CBS News,
4 June 2026
Noun
-
Marlon Wayans, Shawn Wayans, and Michael Tiddes, the director of Scary Movie, take EW inside the making of the film's wild pair of post-credits parodies.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
6 June 2026
-
The sequel reboot brings original franchise stars Marlon, Shawn, Anna Faris and Regina Hall back to the world of horror movie parodies.—
Jack Smart,
PEOPLE,
5 June 2026
Noun
-
Footballing success, in differing guises, came a long time ago.—
Adam Leventhal,
New York Times,
10 June 2026
-
Opponents of affirmative action, who suspect that the process is still continuing under other guises, could seek to replicate the winning strategy of the Harvard and UNC cases, if testing data show large, unexplainable gaps in academic preparation among different student groups.—
Idrees Kahloon,
The Atlantic,
9 June 2026
Noun
-
The most important stories of Jesus’ life, the Nativity and Passion, are etched into the basilica’s east and west facades.—
Joseph Wilson,
Los Angeles Times,
10 June 2026
-
The 18 towers represent different figures from scripture including the apostles, evangelists and Virgin Mary while the three facades depict the life of Jesus along with his death and final judgment.—
Christopher Lamb,
CNN Money,
10 June 2026
Noun
-
Deep breathing kicked off the class, followed by modified poses.—
Lisa Shames,
Chicago Tribune,
9 June 2026
-
Some of yoga’s most familiar poses are the warrior asanas, derived from Hindu mythology.—
Paula Chesley,
STAT,
3 June 2026
Noun
-
Hosted by Tituss Burgess and Laura Benanti, that earlier ceremony airs on the free network Pluto TV.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
4 June 2026
-
Game 2 of the NBA Finals takes place Friday, June 5, in San Antonio and airs on ESPN.—
Sean Neumann,
PEOPLE,
4 June 2026
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.
Cite this Entry
“Put-ons.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/put-ons. Accessed 15 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
