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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of put on
Julio Cesar Valdera Morales, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 May 2025
Politics Entire staff at federal agency that funds libraries and museums put on leave
As part of Trump's efforts to shrink the federal bureaucracy and slash government spending, the president has issued a slew of executive orders aiming to eliminate many of the entities contacted by DOGE.
—Stephen Fowler, NPR, 17 May 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
It's put on by the PGA of America, which are two separate organizations.
—Julio Cesar Valdera Morales, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 May 2025
Politics Entire staff at federal agency that funds libraries and museums put on leave
As part of Trump's efforts to shrink the federal bureaucracy and slash government spending, the president has issued a slew of executive orders aiming to eliminate many of the entities contacted by DOGE.
—Stephen Fowler, NPR, 17 May 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
-
In high-stakes projects, leaders may downplay their employees’ efforts and exaggerate their mistakes.—
Esade Business & Law School,
Forbes.com,
23 May 2025
-
Kehinde’s lawyer argued that the girl lied or exaggerated many of her claims.—
Nate Gartrell,
Mercury News,
21 May 2025
Verb
-
That old man was Trump—who had just been hospitalized with COVID-19, but was pretending that everything was fine—and yet the column was about America’s gerontocracy as a whole, and what Smith suggested was an unsustainable media omertà around it.—
Jon Allsop,
New Yorker,
23 May 2025
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That’s the point of him; as the Mission: Impossible franchise’s secret agent extraordinaire, Hunt can pretend to be anyone, accomplish basically any physical task, and uncover conspiracies with aplomb.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
23 May 2025
Adjective
-
Say it with mock certainty and a slight smile, Callahan advises, and pause before the punchline.—
Angela Haupt,
Time,
21 May 2025
-
Two of them show up regularly in way-too-early 2026 mock drafts.—
Parker Gabriel,
Denver Post,
21 May 2025
Noun
-
After his arrest, Duffy had faked amnesia and sought asylum in a psychiatric hospital, where doctors prevented the police from interrogating him, but the pretense of the amnesia was exposed at the trial by his ex-wife and a friend.—
Sarah Beckwith,
New Yorker,
26 May 2025
-
May 8 Theft by false pretense: Someone contacted a Saratoga resident, claiming to be a member of the Federal Trade Commission.—
Anne Gelhaus,
Mercury News,
23 May 2025
Noun
-
Ferrell's Ricky Bobby also serves as a pitch-perfect parody of the ego-driven, preening male protagonists of many a racing film.—
James Mercadante,
EW.com,
20 May 2025
-
Saturday Night Live's best car sketches, parodies and fake ads Who is in the Season 50 'SNL' cast?—
Natalie Neysa Alund,
USA Today,
16 May 2025
Verb
-
The good news, however, is that appears ready to don the aqua and orange in 2025.—
C. Isaiah Smalls II,
Miami Herald,
22 May 2025
-
The pair donned matching blue caps and gowns and queued up in line behind fellow 2025 graduates, with the elder Al Arab ready to accept his Bachelor of Arts degree in criminology.—
Alana Wise,
NPR,
22 May 2025
Adjective
-
Later, it's revealed that Phelps didn't die at all, and his fake death was a setup to frame Ethan.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
24 May 2025
-
Bad actors had cloned his voice to make fake 911 calls about emergencies at rival locations.—
Daniel R. Depetris,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 May 2025
Noun
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For the past two years, a prototype facade has been in use on a greenhouse in the University of Freiburg's Botanical Garden, in the state of Baden-Württemberg.—
Ben Coxworth
May 23,
New Atlas,
23 May 2025
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When a simple mistake turns into a fatal error for one of his patients, Sam tries to bury the truth under a facade of perfection, knowing that a lifetime of deceit is about to be exposed.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
22 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Put on.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/put%20on. Accessed 1 Jun. 2025.
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