as in fictitious
not real and existing only in the imagination
the bogeyman was one of those made-up monsters whose sole purpose was to threaten children
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in comprised
to be all the substance of
the book is made up of 20 chapters
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in devised
to create or think of by clever use of the imagination
she keeps making up excuses as to why she hasn't yet finished the project
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in built
to form by putting together parts or materials
we'll have to make up the bookcase, which came in a box marked "some assembly required"
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of made-up
Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 4 Mar. 2026
Cook said his team detected a variety of age manipulation: synthetic fraud, in which real, stolen and made-up information is used to create a new identity; identity fraud; and document fraud.
—Nick Penzenstadler, USA Today, 13 Feb. 2026
That story was 100 percent insane and made-up, and not a word of it is true.
—Mekishana Pierre, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Feb. 2026
Vietnam had an imaginary Gulf of Tonkin attack; Trump has made-up drug cartels.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 14 Jan. 2026
And there's not one right way to do it, considering the holiday is made-up and the real thing is just around the corner.
—Rachel Treisman, NPR, 19 Nov. 2025
And while OpenAI’s defenders could chalk that up to an isolated or even made-up incident, within 24 hours of the GPT-5 launch Altman was doing damage control, seemingly caught of guard by the bad reception.
—Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2025
Because a lot of things on reality TV are made-up situations and scenarios to provoke reactions and all of that stuff.
—Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 2 Aug. 2025
Something more insidious is at play with all of the half-baked or made-up statistics.
—Lisa Jarvis, Mercury News, 6 June 2025
Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 19 Mar. 2026
Then there’s the fact that, much like the Heated Rivalry fandom and romance-genre readers in general, the PWHL fandom is largely made up of women.
—Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 19 Mar. 2026
The 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), made up of at least 2,200 marines, is expected to deploy from San Diego in the coming days, sooner than they were scheduled to leave, the people said.
—Raf Sanchez, NBC news, 19 Mar. 2026
Christopher Sanchez, Luis Severino, Brayan Bello and Sandy Alcantara made up the rotation while the bullpen features the likes of Gregory Soto, Camilo Doval and Seranthony Dominguez among others.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 12 Mar. 2026
The Panthers have made up ground with their roster by targeting top-tier talent at non-premium positions in free agency.
—Mike Kaye
march 12, Charlotte Observer, 12 Mar. 2026
UniQure had hoped to make a submission to the FDA using data from an earlier trial that suggested its therapy slowed disease progression compared with an external control group made up of people with Huntington’s who weren’t in the study.
—Meg Tirrell, CNN Money, 5 Mar. 2026
In these squabbles, lies are told, stories are made up and the mantra that there are two sides to everything is proven false.
—Dave Lieber, Dallas Morning News, 19 Feb. 2026
The crews, made up of 15 foreign nationals, were taken into custody and referred to Iran’s judicial authorities, according to Iranian state media.
—Emma Bussey, FOXNews.com, 6 Feb. 2026
Adjective
During his interview, Newsom spoke about his ongoing and very public feud with Trump, who received the inaugural (and made-up) FIFA Peace Prize in December.
—Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 4 Mar. 2026
Cook said his team detected a variety of age manipulation: synthetic fraud, in which real, stolen and made-up information is used to create a new identity; identity fraud; and document fraud.
—Nick Penzenstadler, USA Today, 13 Feb. 2026
That story was 100 percent insane and made-up, and not a word of it is true.
—Mekishana Pierre, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Feb. 2026
Vietnam had an imaginary Gulf of Tonkin attack; Trump has made-up drug cartels.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 14 Jan. 2026
And there's not one right way to do it, considering the holiday is made-up and the real thing is just around the corner.
—Rachel Treisman, NPR, 19 Nov. 2025
And while OpenAI’s defenders could chalk that up to an isolated or even made-up incident, within 24 hours of the GPT-5 launch Altman was doing damage control, seemingly caught of guard by the bad reception.
—Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2025
Because a lot of things on reality TV are made-up situations and scenarios to provoke reactions and all of that stuff.
—Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 2 Aug. 2025
Something more insidious is at play with all of the half-baked or made-up statistics.
—Lisa Jarvis, Mercury News, 6 June 2025
Verb
The team is made up of trainers, nutrition coaches, and wellness pros, so meals are timed, hikes are guided, and massages are scheduled.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 19 Mar. 2026
Then there’s the fact that, much like the Heated Rivalry fandom and romance-genre readers in general, the PWHL fandom is largely made up of women.
—Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 19 Mar. 2026
The 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), made up of at least 2,200 marines, is expected to deploy from San Diego in the coming days, sooner than they were scheduled to leave, the people said.
—Raf Sanchez, NBC news, 19 Mar. 2026
Christopher Sanchez, Luis Severino, Brayan Bello and Sandy Alcantara made up the rotation while the bullpen features the likes of Gregory Soto, Camilo Doval and Seranthony Dominguez among others.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 12 Mar. 2026
The Panthers have made up ground with their roster by targeting top-tier talent at non-premium positions in free agency.
—Mike Kaye
march 12, Charlotte Observer, 12 Mar. 2026
UniQure had hoped to make a submission to the FDA using data from an earlier trial that suggested its therapy slowed disease progression compared with an external control group made up of people with Huntington’s who weren’t in the study.
—Meg Tirrell, CNN Money, 5 Mar. 2026
In these squabbles, lies are told, stories are made up and the mantra that there are two sides to everything is proven false.
—Dave Lieber, Dallas Morning News, 19 Feb. 2026
The crews, made up of 15 foreign nationals, were taken into custody and referred to Iran’s judicial authorities, according to Iranian state media.
—Emma Bussey, FOXNews.com, 6 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for made-up
Adjective
-
As fictitious as living forever.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 Mar. 2026
-
Bensley infuses his design with imaginary stories—in this case about adventurers, their steamer trunks emblazoned with fictitious initials.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
17 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The current Pentagon press corps is comprised mostly of conservative outlets that agreed to the policy.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
6 Mar. 2026
-
The Justice Department initially said that its release, made in response to a law passed by Congress compelling the agency to disclose nearly all files related to Epstein, comprised more than 3 million pages.—
Elliott Ramos,
CBS News,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
In 1983, Bennett and Brassard devised a new quantum approach to private communication.—
Ben Brubaker,
Quanta Magazine,
18 Mar. 2026
-
The problem is, this is just the most powerful tool that’s ever been devised.—
Brian Welk,
IndieWire,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Lucas deliberately built this team to defend, crash the boards, get second-chance points, and get to the free throw line as often as possible.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
22 Mar. 2026
-
Cliff swallows traditionally built their nests on vertical cliff faces.—
Kurt Snibbe,
Oc Register,
21 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Bensley infuses his design with imaginary stories—in this case about adventurers, their steamer trunks emblazoned with fictitious initials.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
17 Mar. 2026
-
Mom screams at Jane for being too old to have imaginary friends.—
Maggie Fremont,
Vulture,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Our schools are composed of dedicated caring individuals who prepare students to be successful in life.—
Elaine Rojas-Castillo,
CBS News,
20 Mar. 2026
-
The body, built by Scaglietti, is composed of Kevlar, carbon-fiber, and aluminum panels covering a tubular spaceframe chassis.—
Robert Ross,
Robb Report,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Wholesome content, but entirely concocted.—
Jake Kanter,
Deadline,
18 Mar. 2026
-
An epoxy compound is concocted to replace discs between vertebrae and other cartilaginous elements, so the animal returns to its original dimensions and structure.—
Jeff Wilson,
Outdoor Life,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
After the 15th Street bike lanes were constructed, bicycle injury crashes decreased by 91 percent, according to the District Department of Transportation.—
Liam Scott,
Washington Post,
20 Mar. 2026
-
One flirts and drinks and dallies and dances; the other is part child, part monk, his mantel packed with icons and crucifixes, his inner landscape a kind of mental Sagrada Família — a weird and extraordinary edifice constructed around the rigors and promises of Christianity.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
20 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Made-up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/made-up. Accessed 22 Mar. 2026.
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