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
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Recent Examples of putting on
Depending on how your body responds, that could manifest as either shedding or putting on pounds.
—
Caroline Tien, SELF, 23 Jan. 2026
Each residence is just steps away from the beach, so close that putting on shoes would be foolish.
—Alex Postman, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Jan. 2026
But certain trees are still putting on a show with their beautiful evergreen foliage, raising the question of whether winter watering is necessary.
—Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 12 Jan. 2026
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
Caroline Tien, SELF, 23 Jan. 2026
Each residence is just steps away from the beach, so close that putting on shoes would be foolish.
—Alex Postman, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Jan. 2026
But certain trees are still putting on a show with their beautiful evergreen foliage, raising the question of whether winter watering is necessary.
—Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 12 Jan. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for putting on
Verb
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Allegations that are now spreading online could be misinterpreting records or exaggerating minor issues — or could be exposing actual fraudulent activity.—
Jude Joffe-Block,
NPR,
7 Jan. 2026
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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
Verb
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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
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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
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Heated Rivalry’s first two episodes premiered on November 25, 2025, and by December 16, the actors were donning little wings to shoot video promo clips for their series, Ember & Ice.—
Kase Wickman,
Vanity Fair,
21 Jan. 2026
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In the clips, Kiingspiider performed stunts that ranged from vaulting over barriers to maneuvering through station entrances in unexpected ways — oftentimes donning a Spider-Man costume.—
Ashley Vega,
PEOPLE,
19 Jan. 2026
Verb
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In recent years Beijing has ramped up its military intimidation of Taiwan, including by simulating blockades.—
Steven Jiang,
CNN Money,
6 Jan. 2026
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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
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Shifting the Storytelling Strategy Danielle Krischik, author of The Story Effect, notes that assuming storytelling is just a performance skill is limiting.—
Malana VanTyler,
USA Today,
27 Jan. 2026
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The biggest mistake investors make is assuming that patience means inactivity.—
Jim Osman,
Forbes.com,
26 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Putting on.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/putting%20on. Accessed 29 Jan. 2026.
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