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
Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 21 Mar. 2025
That come-on, ostensibly from a bank, had an attachment laced with a Trojan.
—IEEE Spectrum, 24 Mar. 2013
Pamela McClintock, HollywoodReporter, 10 Apr. 2025
Some hurdles are too low (come on, everyone knows Deborah won’t be mad at Ava forever), and others are too high.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 10 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for come-on
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Noun
Fully in his alpha flirt mode, Harlow starts out making eyes at Doja from across the room, trying to rope her in with some subtle come-ons.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 21 Mar. 2025
That come-on, ostensibly from a bank, had an attachment laced with a Trojan.
—IEEE Spectrum, 24 Mar. 2013
Verb
Marvel’s pandemic-era MCU entry Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, came on tracking at $45 million but opened to more than $75 million in September 2021.
—Pamela McClintock, HollywoodReporter, 10 Apr. 2025
Some hurdles are too low (come on, everyone knows Deborah won’t be mad at Ava forever), and others are too high.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 10 Apr. 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 15 Apr. 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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