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
Yvonne Villarreal, Los Angeles Times, 12 June 2026
Some items from the club have been preserved in a secret warehouse the city showed to reporters last week, and are expected to be put on display.
—Silas Morgan, The Orlando Sentinel, 12 June 2026
Talie Smith, Forbes.com, 10 July 2025
With access to troves of archival footage, Braverman shows Kaufman transforming the very nature of comedy by launching the put-on into existential extremes.
—Sheldon Pearce, The New Yorker, 21 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for put on
Verb
Her Alice becomes a blazing embodiment of the emotional maelstrom inside every woman who is expected to somehow put on a supportive, understanding face no matter how outrageous or impossible the situation.
—Yvonne Villarreal, Los Angeles Times, 12 June 2026
Some items from the club have been preserved in a secret warehouse the city showed to reporters last week, and are expected to be put on display.
—Silas Morgan, The Orlando Sentinel, 12 June 2026
Adjective
The most earnest-sounding campaign can feel like a put-on.
—Talie Smith, Forbes.com, 10 July 2025
With access to troves of archival footage, Braverman shows Kaufman transforming the very nature of comedy by launching the put-on into existential extremes.
—Sheldon Pearce, The New Yorker, 21 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for put on
Recent Examples of Synonyms for put on
Verb
-
All of the ducks don festive attire during holidays and big New England sports events.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
12 June 2026
-
Ashley even donned the undone style on the Met Gala red carpet in 2017, tucking her blond ends under a dull green collar.—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
12 June 2026
Verb
-
Goldman says Lander is exaggerating the gulf between them.—
Russell Berman,
The Atlantic,
7 June 2026
-
Sub-six-footers aren’t the only ones who exaggerate their height, though.—
Brady Brickner-Wood,
New Yorker,
4 June 2026
Verb
-
The criminals then follow up by phone, pretending to be IT support and ask employees to join screen-sharing sessions or install remote-access software.—
Gene Marks,
Forbes.com,
14 June 2026
-
Beauty, then, arises from the pain and struggle of experiencing oneself as a site of divine truancy, and ugly is that which pretends to be directly equivalent to the soul, God, etc.—
Esther Yi,
New Yorker,
14 June 2026
Adjective
-
His mock draft range has been all over the place, from the lottery to Denver’s territory.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
9 June 2026
-
Look for mock-meat dishes built around tofu and seitan — including bánh mì chay made with tofu — along with fresh spring rolls and phở chay, typically made with mushrooms in place of beef or chicken.—
Lauren Schuster,
Kansas City Star,
8 June 2026
Noun
-
For all the Court’s pretenses—all of its insistence on the rule of law, precedent, and good faith—many critics and supporters of the Roberts Court see the institution as an appendage of the Republican Party.—
Adam Serwer,
The Atlantic,
5 June 2026
-
Garcia-Hernandez was arrested on charges of theft of an elder adult, obtaining money by false pretenses, and attempted grand theft, along with an out-of-county warrant.—
Kassia Bonesteel,
CBS News,
4 June 2026
Noun
-
Ru’s previous movies, like her blaxploitation parody series Starrbooty, are entertainingly low-budget ridiculousness but not worth paying to see on the big screen.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
12 June 2026
-
For Entertainment Weekly's Scary Movie cover story, the returning protagonist of the first four entries in the horror parody franchise broke down all the films that co-creators and co-writers Shawn and Marlon Wayans set Faris up to knock down in the latest.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
11 June 2026
Verb
-
Trump has repeatedly alleged that Democrats have rigged the June 2 primary in their favor.—
Stephen Hobbs,
Sacbee.com,
10 June 2026
-
Taken together, these indicators suggest that many Americans believe our economic system is not just failing to work for them, but is fundamentally rigged against them—a conclusion made harder to dismiss by the massive, multi-decade rise in inequality.—
Lucy Lang,
Time,
10 June 2026
Verb
-
At May Mobility, Olson said that involves installing systems in autonomous cars that are capable of simulating and assessing various scenarios simultaneously and choosing the best option.—
Alexei Oreskovic,
Fortune,
16 June 2026
-
These clocks help ensure a peaceful morning by simulating the gradual light produced by a sunrise.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
15 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Put on.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/put%20on. Accessed 16 Jun. 2026.
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