1
: something (such as an advertising promotion) intended to entice or allure
2
: a usually sexual advance
came on; come on; coming on; comes on
1
a
: to advance by degrees
darkness came on
b
: to begin by degrees
rain came on toward noon
2
a
: please
—used in cajoling or pleading
b
—used interjectionally to express astonishment, incredulity, or recognition of a put-on
3
: to project an indicated personal image
comes on as a conservative
4
: to show sexual interest in someone
also
: to make sexual advances
—usually used with to
tried to come on to her
Examples of come-on in a Sentence
Noun
the spectacular sale was enough of a come-on to get many shoppers to try the store for the first time
Recent Examples on the Web
IEEE Spectrum, 24 Mar. 2013
Not long after, Holt turned down a come-on from the producer Howard Hughes.
—Justin Curto, Vulture, 19 Nov. 2024
Michael Bloom, CNBC, 22 Feb. 2025
The start of the state’s insurance market meltdown came on the heels of those two storms between 2017 and 2019, as companies justified big rate increases to cover their losses.
—Lawrence Mower, Miami Herald, 22 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for come-on
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Noun
That come-on, ostensibly from a bank, had an attachment laced with a Trojan.
—IEEE Spectrum, 24 Mar. 2013
Not long after, Holt turned down a come-on from the producer Howard Hughes.
—Justin Curto, Vulture, 19 Nov. 2024
Verb
The next important test for AI bulls comes on Feb-26 when NVDA reports FQ4 results.
—Michael Bloom, CNBC, 22 Feb. 2025
The start of the state’s insurance market meltdown came on the heels of those two storms between 2017 and 2019, as companies justified big rate increases to cover their losses.
—Lawrence Mower, Miami Herald, 22 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for come-on
Cite this Entry
“Come-on.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/come-on. Accessed 27 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationLegal Definition
come on
intransitive verb
: to be brought forward (as a case in court)
the first prize case of the war…came on for trial—W. G. Young
W. G. YoungLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
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