as in fictitious
not real and existing only in the imagination
the bogeyman was one of those made-up monsters whose sole purpose was to threaten children
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in comprised
to be all the substance of
the book is made up of 20 chapters
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in devised
to create or think of by clever use of the imagination
she keeps making up excuses as to why she hasn't yet finished the project
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in built
to form by putting together parts or materials
we'll have to make up the bookcase, which came in a box marked "some assembly required"
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples 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 made-up
Lance Eliot, Forbes, 16 Sep. 2024
But to pursue a state of purity—even a fictional one; even a made-up, obviously impure one—still feels righteous.
—Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 26 Aug. 2024
Not long after that, the reader’s manager started reprimanding Autumn Leaves 523 for humming, misdirecting a package, and other minor or made-up infractions.
—Karla Miller, Washington Post, 11 Apr. 2024
Her mother Dee Dee Blanchard lived with Munchausen syndrome by proxy, a psychological disorder in which parents or caregivers seek sympathy through the exaggerated or made-up illnesses of their children.
—Alexandra Del Rosario, Los Angeles Times, 28 Dec. 2023
Under the visage of the monster he was made-up to be, shined the kindest of spirits.
—Ingrid Vasquez, Peoplemag, 14 Dec. 2023
Clad in a bright matching jumpsuit, blonde hair wrapped delicately in a chic scarf and face made-up proper, donning oversized sunglasses, her charisma is on full display.
—Holly Jones, Variety, 15 Oct. 2023
Gorgeously made-up, with earrings, necklaces, bracelets, rings, a corset, and a cloak, Inanna set forth.
—Matthew Gavin Frank, Harper's Magazine, 11 Aug. 2022
The score was made-up of averages from an air and water quality sub-category and a pollution sub-category.
—Sydney Carruth, The Arizona Republic, 3 May 2023
Adjective
Telling lies to appease a user even if a false or made-up answer is provided.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes, 16 Sep. 2024
But to pursue a state of purity—even a fictional one; even a made-up, obviously impure one—still feels righteous.
—Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 26 Aug. 2024
Not long after that, the reader’s manager started reprimanding Autumn Leaves 523 for humming, misdirecting a package, and other minor or made-up infractions.
—Karla Miller, Washington Post, 11 Apr. 2024
Her mother Dee Dee Blanchard lived with Munchausen syndrome by proxy, a psychological disorder in which parents or caregivers seek sympathy through the exaggerated or made-up illnesses of their children.
—Alexandra Del Rosario, Los Angeles Times, 28 Dec. 2023
Under the visage of the monster he was made-up to be, shined the kindest of spirits.
—Ingrid Vasquez, Peoplemag, 14 Dec. 2023
Clad in a bright matching jumpsuit, blonde hair wrapped delicately in a chic scarf and face made-up proper, donning oversized sunglasses, her charisma is on full display.
—Holly Jones, Variety, 15 Oct. 2023
Gorgeously made-up, with earrings, necklaces, bracelets, rings, a corset, and a cloak, Inanna set forth.
—Matthew Gavin Frank, Harper's Magazine, 11 Aug. 2022
The score was made-up of averages from an air and water quality sub-category and a pollution sub-category.
—Sydney Carruth, The Arizona Republic, 3 May 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for made-up
Adjective
-
Everyone read a fictitious story about a school that was running out of water because its local aquifer was drying up.Kaitlin Sullivan, NBC News, 9 Oct. 2024
-
To Kaplan, the onscreen romantic chemistry between the two fictitious lead characters, rival booksellers Joe Fox and Kathleen Kelly, drew her attention.David Chiu, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024
Verb
-
The brand this year also devised a bold new trophy for the Louis Vuitton Cup winner that is literally centuries ahead of the staid 19th-century America’s Cup.Michael Verdon, Robb Report, 17 Oct. 2024
-
This was originally devised for off-roading but can also be useful for scenarios like maneuvering in a car wash.Sam Abuelsamid, Forbes, 16 Oct. 2024
Verb
-
The train cars that will be sent to Lima were built between 1985 and 1987 and served millions of riders in the Bay Area until their retirement.Nollyanne Delacruz, The Mercury News, 17 Nov. 2024
-
Together, the pair built their own ofrenda at home, then picked out costumes and painted their faces before heading to the annual event at the start of November on the city’s Northside.Megan Ulu-Lani Boyanton, The Denver Post, 16 Nov. 2024
Adjective
-
And the exasperation goes from imaginary frustration to real annoyance.Alex Abad-Santos, Vox, 18 Nov. 2024
-
And through her mesmerizing filmmaking, Kapadia creates a world that didn’t seem possible — which, of course, reinforces how imaginary this new place might prove to be.Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 15 Nov. 2024
Verb
-
But unlike most news paper editorial boards, which are composed of opinion journalists that operate separately from a publication’s newsroom, the nascent New York Editorial Board is comprised of a mix of news editors, analysts, and columnists from across the city.Brian Stelter, CNN, 4 Oct. 2024
-
Every product was determined to have excelled in each category by our editorial team, which is composed of in-house writers and editors as well as contributors — along with special consideration from dermatologists.Sarah Madaus, Allure, 4 Oct. 2024
Adjective
-
Set in the fictional town of Salem, Illionois, Days of Our Lives follows the lives of several families including the Bradys, the Hortons, the Carvers, the DiMeras and the Kiriakises.Marc Berman, Forbes, 3 Nov. 2024
-
Plus, this isn't that much of a political fantasy: There's no way both the president and the vice president could be women, even in this fictional world.Kelly Lawler, USA TODAY, 2 Nov. 2024
Verb
-
But labor-relations law as currently constituted under the Wagner Act creates monopolistic unions that exercise outsized power with the backing of the federal government.The Editors, National Review, 3 Oct. 2024
-
This constituted a slightly larger attack than the barrage in April, which involved about 110 ballistic missiles and 30 cruise missiles fired toward Israel.Kapil Kajal, Interesting Engineering, 1 Oct. 2024
Verb
-
Cost of ancillary products and assembled components increased to $342,865 from $187,841, reflecting the component costs associated with the rise in perpetual license sales of progressive gaming systems.Quartz Bot, Quartz, 12 Nov. 2024
-
In London, the crowd assembled near a statue of Peter Pan, where handmade signs, balloons, and flowers were placed to honor Payne.Althea Legaspi, Rolling Stone, 20 Oct. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near made-up
Cite this Entry
“Made-up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/made-up. Accessed 24 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share