put on 1 of 3

verb

Definition of put onnext
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

put-on

2 of 3

adjective

ˈpu̇t-ˈȯn How to pronounce put-on (audio)
as in mock
lacking in natural or spontaneous quality a put-on goofy voice

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

put-on

3 of 3

noun

ˈpu̇t-ˌȯn How to pronounce put-on (audio)
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
Verb
Meanwhile, after a restraining order was put on the Trump administration’s firings, CISA is having to re-hire any probationary staff laid off after January 20. — Thomas Brewster, Forbes, 18 Mar. 2025 Abramowitz was appointed by the broadcast agency’s board during the Biden administration; he was also put on leave. — Al Pessin, Sun Sentinel, 18 Mar. 2025
Adjective
In the end, as Reno and the reader may have sensed all along, her detachment is just another performance, a cool-girl put-on not so different from Rachel K’s burlesque. — Lily Meyer, The Atlantic, 3 Sep. 2024 The counterargument is that the persona is a put-on — that the real Vance is the guy who wanted the establishment to just be 15 percent less out of touch, and that if Trump exits the scene, that guy is the one who will actually govern. — Megan McArdle, Washington Post, 15 July 2024 See All Example Sentences for put on
Recent Examples of Synonyms for put on
  1. exaggerate
  2. pretend
  3. mock
  4. pretense
  5. parody
  6. don
  7. fake
  8. facade
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
Definition of exaggerate
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
Definition of pretend
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
Definition of mock
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
Definition of pretense
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
Definition of parody
Verb
  • If surfing isn't your scene, don a jumpsuit and grab a board to slide down the black-sand slopes of Cerro Negro instead.
    — Carley Rojas Avila, Travel + Leisure, 23 Mar. 2025
  • So Alex dons a uniform, buses tables and engages in servile labor for the first time in her life.
    — Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 23 Mar. 2025
Definition of don
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
Definition of fake
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
Definition of facade

Browse Nearby Words

put-on
put on
put on an act
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Cite this Entry

“Put on.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/put%20on. Accessed 31 Mar. 2025.

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