1
as in throwing (on)
to place on one's person
I put on a coat and shoes to go outside
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in exaggerating
to describe or express in too strong terms
some critics are putting it on when they say it's the best comedy ever made
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in pretending
to present a false appearance of
put on a show of anger just for fun
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of putting on
Yes, even when putting on gloves, hands should be washed first.
—
David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 7 Nov. 2025
Liam has spoken extensively about putting on the black leathers, contacts and the wig and that process of not becoming yourself.
—Jordan Moreau, Variety, 31 Oct. 2025
Indivisible is putting on No Kings with organizations including the ACLU, 50501, Planned Parenthood, the Sunrise Movement and various labor unions.
—Joseph Hernandez, Kansas City Star, 12 Oct. 2025
Luca has a version American Psycho lined up, with Austin Butler reportedly putting on Patrick Bateman’s see-through raincoat.
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 11 Oct. 2025
Fresh off the final workout some 24 hours before putting on his true uniform attire for the first time, Liam McNeeley appears calm on the exterior.
—Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 5 Oct. 2025
Every single day, it's been a pleasure coming to work and putting on the orange and blue.
—Jackson Roberts, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Sep. 2025
One of the most poignant memories Porter holds from Rosa’s funeral was their innocent son’s excitement about putting on his first suit.
—Tereza Shkurtaj, PEOPLE, 20 Sep. 2025
Last night saw a host of celebrities turn out for the fourth annual Kering Foundation Caring for Women dinner in New York City, putting on their most glamorous gowns.
—Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 12 Sep. 2025
David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 7 Nov. 2025
Liam has spoken extensively about putting on the black leathers, contacts and the wig and that process of not becoming yourself.
—Jordan Moreau, Variety, 31 Oct. 2025
Indivisible is putting on No Kings with organizations including the ACLU, 50501, Planned Parenthood, the Sunrise Movement and various labor unions.
—Joseph Hernandez, Kansas City Star, 12 Oct. 2025
Luca has a version American Psycho lined up, with Austin Butler reportedly putting on Patrick Bateman’s see-through raincoat.
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 11 Oct. 2025
Fresh off the final workout some 24 hours before putting on his true uniform attire for the first time, Liam McNeeley appears calm on the exterior.
—Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 5 Oct. 2025
Every single day, it's been a pleasure coming to work and putting on the orange and blue.
—Jackson Roberts, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Sep. 2025
One of the most poignant memories Porter holds from Rosa’s funeral was their innocent son’s excitement about putting on his first suit.
—Tereza Shkurtaj, PEOPLE, 20 Sep. 2025
Last night saw a host of celebrities turn out for the fourth annual Kering Foundation Caring for Women dinner in New York City, putting on their most glamorous gowns.
—Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 12 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for putting on
Verb
-
Studies have found that companies tend to buy cheap, low-quality carbon credits, which run a risk of exaggerating their carbon reduction claims or providing results that would have happened anyway, leaving no real climate benefit.—
Brian P. McCullough,
The Conversation,
10 Dec. 2025
-
Democratic officials have pushed back, arguing that the president is exaggerating the need to combat crime in the city for political gain.—
Matt Lavietes,
NBC news,
22 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Parents reported that their children loved playing with the original Nékojita FuFu, pretending to fan their faces and blow-dry their hair.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
6 Jan. 2026
-
How naïve must Trump be to believe that Putin cares about Ukraine’s well-being after invading it, killing thousands of its people, kidnapping tens of thousands of Ukrainian children back to Russia, and continuing to bomb civilian apartment buildings while pretending to negotiate a peace deal?—
Tom Zirpoli,
Baltimore Sun,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Demi Lovato, for instance, stunned at the 2025 LACMA Art + Film Gala held on November 1, 2025 — donning a strapless Salih Balta gown and six distinct, shoppable James Allen jewelry pieces (rings, necklace, tennis bracelet, and earrings included) that added to her princess-like aesthetic.—
Stacia Datskovska,
Footwear News,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Offerman may have been snubbed for donning tiny hats and dancing on Parks and Recreation, but allowing the same thing to occur for Death by Lightning would be an equally egregious crime.—
Daniel Fienberg,
HollywoodReporter,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
In recent years Beijing has ramped up its military intimidation of Taiwan, including by simulating blockades.—
Steven Jiang,
CNN Money,
6 Jan. 2026
-
Since stem cell models represent a disease’s early stages, simulating development is trickier and more time-consuming.—
Noah Lyons,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
1 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
In estimating that online sales would result in overall annual profits of about $30-90 million, the Legislative Services Agency is assuming there would be an accompanying decrease in retail lottery sales.—
Kayla Dwyer,
IndyStar,
6 Jan. 2026
-
Launching a military operation and then assuming responsibility for governance shifts Washington toward a closed, coercive model of power – one that relies on force to establish authority and is prohibitively costly to sustain over time.—
Monica Duffy Toft,
The Conversation,
5 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Putting on.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/putting%20on. Accessed 8 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share