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
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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
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The implication is that the non-college population makes nothing, an assumption that dramatically exaggerates the college payoff.—
Ryan Craig,
Forbes.com,
4 Apr. 2025
-
Rhodes further retorted with a crude remark about Cena's microphone skills versus his physical attributes, and cautioned him against exaggerating his positive impact on WWE upon his departure.—
Josh Hammer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Apr. 2025
Verb
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This prompt gives you enough talking points to contribute thoughtfully without pretending to be an expert.—
Dr. Diane Hamilton,
Forbes.com,
4 Apr. 2025
-
Rick, who pretended to be a film producer to weasel his way into the home of Jim and Sritala (Lek Patravadi) and confront Jim over potentially murdering his father.—
Randall Colburn,
EW.com,
4 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Afterward, a mock court-martial was held, complete with the sentencing and execution of a private accused of desertion.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
5 Apr. 2025
-
In mock drafts, Hampton is often mocked to the early twenties or even late twenties to a team like the Washington Commanders.—
John W. Dean,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Apr. 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
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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
-
This semester's show is a musical parody of Love Island called Love on an Island.—
Hannah Sacks,
People.com,
3 Apr. 2025
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So Far Kilmer’s career spanned nearly four decades, starting with his first movie in 1984, the absurd joke-a-minute World War II parody Top Secret!, from the knuckleheads that created the comedy classic Airplane!—
John DeVore,
Rolling Stone,
2 Apr. 2025
Verb
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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
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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
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These platforms sell complete phishing kits—web hosting, SMS delivery systems, fake landing pages, encryption tools—to other cybercriminals who want to run scams at scale.—
Alex Vakulov,
Forbes.com,
6 Apr. 2025
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Nancy Marks, Santos’ former campaign treasurer, admitted to filing bogus campaign finance reports filled with fake donors and a fake $500,000 personal loan from Santos.—
Philip Marcelo,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Once it's completed, the removable floors, roof and detachable facades reveal this Marvel tribute in all its glory, for all to admire.—
Paul Brett,
Space.com,
4 Apr. 2025
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But disaffected ex-employees said the company’s facade of liberation hid something cultish.—
Devlin Barrett,
New York Times,
4 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Put on.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/put%20on. Accessed 14 Apr. 2025.
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