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
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
Classes were offered on serving in-fight refreshments and putting on make-up.
—Vinod Sreeharsha, Miami Herald, 6 Sep. 2025
If meeting men outside were as simple as putting on your best little black dress and heading to your nearest bar, few would be struggling to connect with potential partners.
—Essence, 5 Sep. 2025
Being known for putting on a dunk show in warmups, the 185-pound power wing can jump out of the gym and please the crowd before the game even starts.
—Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 28 Aug. 2025
Mark Ruffalo stars as veteran FBI agent Tom Brandis, who’s assigned to lead a task force to catch a gang of low-level crooks who’ve been putting on Halloween masks and ripping off local drug dealers, in a scheme reminiscent of Apple TV+’s recent Dope Thief.
—Dave Nemetz, TVLine, 28 Aug. 2025
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
Classes were offered on serving in-fight refreshments and putting on make-up.
—Vinod Sreeharsha, Miami Herald, 6 Sep. 2025
If meeting men outside were as simple as putting on your best little black dress and heading to your nearest bar, few would be struggling to connect with potential partners.
—Essence, 5 Sep. 2025
Being known for putting on a dunk show in warmups, the 185-pound power wing can jump out of the gym and please the crowd before the game even starts.
—Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 28 Aug. 2025
Mark Ruffalo stars as veteran FBI agent Tom Brandis, who’s assigned to lead a task force to catch a gang of low-level crooks who’ve been putting on Halloween masks and ripping off local drug dealers, in a scheme reminiscent of Apple TV+’s recent Dope Thief.
—Dave Nemetz, TVLine, 28 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for putting on
Verb
-
Giménez was exaggerating, but not by much.—
Jon Lee Anderson,
New Yorker,
29 Sep. 2025
-
Over half, or 51 percent, admitted to exaggerating their financial success, with Gen Z (54 percent) leading the way compared to millennials (48 percent).—
Suzanne Blake,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Beneath the prosthetics and punchlines lies a story about the cost of pretending and the possibility of renewal.—
JP Mangalindan,
Time,
30 Sep. 2025
-
Burnett learned how to disassociate, pretending at bath time to be a mermaid or drawing comics about a fictional happy family.—
Rachel Syme,
New Yorker,
29 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Instead of donning a perfectly intact hairdo, Kravitz opted for the undone aesthetic; her hair was halfway trapped under the collar of her windbreaker.—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
3 Oct. 2025
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The classic fashion doll favorite is straight off the runway, donning the most up-to-the-minute trends.—
Pamela Brill,
Parents,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
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This resolution strengthens the foundation for simulating reactor behavior and assures designers that graphite will perform its duties as expected.—
Aman Tripathi,
Interesting Engineering,
1 Oct. 2025
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All this change has caused concern among competitors, some of which have been simulating the new designs for over two years.—
Alex Kalinauckas,
New York Times,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
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After investigating, the agency arrested eight people for rigging the game by controlling the distribution of the high prize pieces into circulation, bilking more than $20 million from the fast food chain.—
Jordan Valinsky,
CNN Money,
29 Sep. 2025
-
Giuliani continued to falsely accuse the voting machine company of rigging the 2020 White House race through manipulating votes, Dominion alleged in the lawsuit.—
Filip Timotija,
The Hill,
27 Sep. 2025
Verb
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With all members present, Johnson can currently only afford to lose two Republican votes on any bill, assuming all Democrats are opposed.—
Sudiksha Kochi,
USA Today,
7 Oct. 2025
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Players today come into the league rightly assuming that audiences for professional women’s sports are there.—
Louisa Thomas,
New Yorker,
5 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Putting on.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/putting%20on. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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