1
as in to throw (on)
to place on one's person
I put on a coat and shoes to go outside
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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
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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
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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
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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
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Recent Examples of put on
Colin Demarest, Axios, 18 Dec. 2024
Last taking place in 2009 by lethal injection, the death penalty was put on pause in the Hoosier state because of a lawsuit and other complications that prevented officials from obtaining the mixture of drugs used in its lethal injection protocol.
—Marina Johnson, The Courier-Journal, 18 Dec. 2024
Bob Raissman, New York Daily News, 1 June 2024
While broadly based in reality, the entire movie is a put-on, a wackazoid tall tale, a comedy that uses the breakfast wars as the jumping-off point for a high-camp exercise in nostalgic lunacy.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 3 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for put on 
Verb
Driving the news: Axios was given exclusive access to a counter-drone demo in rural Virginia put on by ZeroMark, a small defense company that wants to equip troops with smarter weaponry.
—Colin Demarest, Axios, 18 Dec. 2024
Last taking place in 2009 by lethal injection, the death penalty was put on pause in the Hoosier state because of a lawsuit and other complications that prevented officials from obtaining the mixture of drugs used in its lethal injection protocol.
—Marina Johnson, The Courier-Journal, 18 Dec. 2024
Adjective
An artist on the court and a put-on artist off, Walton was an all-time great basketball player, the world’s tallest Grateful Dead groupie, a philosopher, hyperbolic orator and comedian.
—Bob Raissman, New York Daily News, 1 June 2024
While broadly based in reality, the entire movie is a put-on, a wackazoid tall tale, a comedy that uses the breakfast wars as the jumping-off point for a high-camp exercise in nostalgic lunacy.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 3 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for put on
Recent Examples of Synonyms for put on
Verb
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The payment is the judgment leveled against Trump for intentionally approving financial documents that exaggerated the value of his assets to land better business opportunities.Stephen Pastis, Forbes, 25 Dec. 2024
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Quite an accomplishment All presidents like to boast about their actions, and nearly all exaggerate their positive impact on the world from time to time.Haisten Willis, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 25 Dec. 2024
Verb
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In June, police said two men pretended to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, including using fake badges, to gain access to homes in Anaheim before robbing Latino residents.Jaweed Kaleem, Los Angeles Times, 29 Dec. 2024
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Squibb plays a 93-year-old grandmother (Squibb is 95 now) who is conned by a phone scammer pretending to be her grandson Daniel (Fred Hechinger).Patrick Hipes, Deadline, 27 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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The group, which also includes the likes of Jim Nill, Kyle Dubas and Scott Salmond, would submit mock rosters in the months leading up to the final roster decisions.Pierre LeBrun, The Athletic, 31 Dec. 2024
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Also in October, Ferrell guest-starred in an episode of Charlie Puth’s mock reality show.Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 30 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Relationships can endure an awful lot, the play asserts, but not false intimacy—not the pretense of something that should be sacred.Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 24 Dec. 2024
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Soka University Disturbingly, even while not issuing credit, many of these colleges and universities let students waive out of the introductory classes—giving the pretense of some benefit but with no loss of tuition revenue for the school.Paul Weinstein Jr., Forbes, 22 Dec. 2024
Noun
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The 2x Oscar nominee, who co-wrote and directed the 2005 Johnny Cash pic Walk the Line, has not been scared off from paying cinematic tribute to other legendary musicians after the parody Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (2007).Glenn Garner, Deadline, 28 Dec. 2024
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Fair use—the lawful copying of others’ works for certain purposes, such as for criticism, parody or news reporting—is mentioned in the AHL’s answer as well.Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 7 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Some of the older girls donned pants — which was prohibited growing up — while others opted for skirts.Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 23 Dec. 2024
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Kelce donned a suit from the Tortured Poets Department skit, while Swift rocked a black dress with silver details.Kimberlee Speakman, People.com, 21 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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The Irish also converted a fake field goal against Georgia Tech, covertly swapping holders from Chris Salerno to Tyler Buchner.Pete Sampson, The Athletic, 31 Dec. 2024
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As generative AI continues to accelerate, distinguishing between real and fake content online is becoming nearly impossible.Steven Smith, Forbes, 30 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Smith’s Bar and Restaurant Image For 70 years, a red-and-green neon extravaganza shone out from the corner facade of Smith’s Bar at 44th Street and Eighth Avenue, on a once seedy strip of Hell’s Kitchen.John Freeman Gill, New York Times, 24 Dec. 2024
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The earthquake of 2023 finally brought down what was left of the regime’s facade.Loubna Mrie, The Atlantic, 20 Dec. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Put on.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/put%20on. Accessed 6 Jan. 2025.
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