1
as in to throw (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 to exaggerate
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 to pretend
to present a false appearance of
put on a show of anger just for fun
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in mock
lacking in natural or spontaneous quality
a put-on goofy voice
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in pretense
a display of emotion or behavior that is insincere or intended to deceive
my bravery was all a put-on—I was scared out of my wits
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in parody
a work that imitates and exaggerates another work for comic effect
for a moment, I couldn't tell if the commercial was serious or a deadpan put-on of ads by other insurance companies
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example 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 put on
Lauren Mascarenhas, CNN Money, 30 Mar. 2025
Amid concerns about traffic impacts on nearby subdivisions, the 76-lot Scianna subdivision has been put on hold for a month by the Porter County Plan Commission.
—Doug Ross, Chicago Tribune, 30 Mar. 2025
Rachel Flynn, People.com, 3 Dec. 2024
Also, Burgess is British IRL, so props to him for faking a bad accent, then using a put-on American one for the rest of the episode.
—Sara Netzley, EW.com, 29 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for put on
Verb
Meeting the more than $3 million cost of putting on the city’s Pride weekend won’t be easy, but Ford said she’s already seen an increase in individual donations.
—Lauren Mascarenhas, CNN Money, 30 Mar. 2025
Amid concerns about traffic impacts on nearby subdivisions, the 76-lot Scianna subdivision has been put on hold for a month by the Porter County Plan Commission.
—Doug Ross, Chicago Tribune, 30 Mar. 2025
Adjective
Turns out, dat good ole dialect is a put-on: James speaks like a professor.
—Rachel Flynn, People.com, 3 Dec. 2024
Also, Burgess is British IRL, so props to him for faking a bad accent, then using a put-on American one for the rest of the episode.
—Sara Netzley, EW.com, 29 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for put on
Recent Examples of Synonyms for put on
Verb
-
Her depiction of her role at Facebook may or may not be exaggerated.—
Michael Hiltzik,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Mar. 2025
-
If Reilly is right, Trump wouldn’t be the first world leader to exaggerate his accomplishments on the links.—
Brian Niemietz,
New York Daily News,
17 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Appearing in his second Saturday Night Live-adjacent film after Wayne's World, Lowe played the villainous Paul Barrish, Tommy's older stepbrother, who plots to take over his father's company with help from his secret lover, partner-in-crime, and pretend mother, Beverly (played by Bo Derek).—
Mike Miller,
EW.com,
22 Mar. 2025
-
But one of the show’s most viral clips is much more representative: The veteran SNL writer Jim Downey pretends to have never heard about Jeffrey Epstein’s misdeeds, to O’Brien’s bleating objections.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
22 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
This is the version (1.0) version of his mock draft, and there could easily be revisions made necessary by trades, medical history and players rising and falling.—
Omar Kelly,
Miami Herald,
21 Mar. 2025
-
One surprising faller in the latest mock draft from Brent Sobleski of Bleacher Report is top tight end prospect Tyler Warren.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
Newsweek,
20 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
The Trump Administration has significantly weakened America's national security infrastructure under the false pretense of government efficiency, by reducing staffing at the Departments of Defense and State, FBI, CIA, USAID, and others despite increasing global threats.—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
TIME,
24 Mar. 2025
-
The Trump administration’s harrowing detention of Palestinian student activist Mahmoud Khalil — and the broader repression of student activism on campuses across the country — is being sold to the public under the false pretense of ensuring Jewish safety.—
Adam Jaffe,
New York Daily News,
18 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
In actuality, everything — unbeknownst to him — was ridiculously staged in a pitch-perfect reality TV parody, as comedy improv actors like David Hornsby and pre-Saturday Night Live Kristen Wiig would put Gould smack dab in the middle of absurd situation after absurd situation.—
EW Staff,
EW.com,
20 Mar. 2025
-
For cases relating to works of fiction, parody and satire, courts recognize that the examination must focus on what the publisher intended to convey, the company says.—
Winston Cho,
The Hollywood Reporter,
17 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
The volunteers and employees donned gloves, fetched an expert in first aid, and said a prayer, the affidavit said, opening the backpack to find that it had been stuffed with a pillow.—
Sharon Bernstein,
Sacbee.com,
4 Apr. 2025
-
And for some reason not explicitly explained by the trailer, Fielder will also need to age himself up through prosthetics and makeup, don a mustache, and get married.—
Tony Maglio,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
At times, these characters surrounded by the green and gold blur of jungle and sunshine almost look fake, or as if they’re being shot in a studio.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes,
24 Mar. 2025
-
The goal of creating a convincing but fake person is at the core of A.I.’s origin story.—
Jaron Lanier,
The New Yorker,
22 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Though the statesman tries to stay one step ahead of the sovereign, the facade he’s so carefully crafted starts to crack.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
23 Mar. 2025
-
The iconic flag is bolted onto the facades of brick homes.—
Sara Miller Llana,
The Christian Science Monitor,
20 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Put on.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/put%20on. Accessed 7 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share