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
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
Amanda Le,
InStyle,
3 July 2026
The visit then took us into the future with the star going supernova, putting on a show that no one on Earth has seen for centuries.
—
Rob Pegoraro,
ArsTechnica,
3 July 2026
Gail Sheehy,
Vanity Fair,
20 Feb. 2026
These are two really good actors whose investments in what could have been let’s-put-on-a-show theater-kid performances go much deeper.
—
Bill Goodykoontz,
AZCentral.com,
21 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for put on
Verb
Two days later, Swift put on an office-siren spin on a night-out look to hit one of her favorite spots, Zero Bond in New York City.
—
Amanda Le,
InStyle,
3 July 2026
The visit then took us into the future with the star going supernova, putting on a show that no one on Earth has seen for centuries.
—
Rob Pegoraro,
ArsTechnica,
3 July 2026
Adjective
But after a perfunctory squeeze, her father lays his head on her shoulder in a gesture of affectionate, put-on penitence.
—
Gail Sheehy,
Vanity Fair,
20 Feb. 2026
These are two really good actors whose investments in what could have been let’s-put-on-a-show theater-kid performances go much deeper.
—
Bill Goodykoontz,
AZCentral.com,
21 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for put on
Recent Examples of Synonyms for put on
Verb
-
After presenting the honors at the investiture at the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the monarch donned a top hat for a garden party at the palace with Queen Camilla, Princess Anne and Prince Edward.
-
Japanese fans are donning cowboy hats at Texas BBQ restaurants.
Verb
-
One sure focus is the rampant grade inflation that exaggerates student achievement and has made graduating high school close to meaningless as an indicator of college preparedness.
-
Jan Paul van Hecke of the Netherlands has been involved in two scraps already, the latest when he was hit while going for a header and crumbled, perhaps exaggerating a tad, after Morocco's Azzedine Ounahi challenged the header, as well.
Verb
-
Barcenas' tea-sipping celebration was a tribute to Alex Morgan, one of the Wave's owners, who pretended to take a sip of tea after scoring in a match against England during the 2019 Women's World Cup.
-
Well, Ariana seems to remember, whereas Hudson is determined to just undo the breakup and pretend like none of it ever happened.
Adjective
-
On Thursday, Gary Police Department personnel visited campers to teach about crime scene investigation and create a mock crime scene for students to solve.
-
An 11-year-old Dexter Sol Ansell is peering into his Zoom camera, hands pressed to his cheeks and mouth wide open in mock shock.
Noun
-
The longevity industry profits from mystifying the obvious, but Emanuel largely dispenses with pretense.
-
In granting the President this unbridled authority, the Court upends its precedent, misconstrues our history, and sheds any pretense of judicial modesty.
Noun
-
Scary Movie paved the way for more big-screen parodies, including Date Movie (2006), Epic Movie (2007), and Meet the Spartans (2008).
-
Their outmoded style, with its seriousness and corniness, its big acting choices and low budgets, is basically impossible to recreate without falling into parody.
Verb
-
All the activity around how the nation votes and runs its elections is a reflection of the Republican president's long fixation on his false claim that his 2020 election defeat was rigged.
-
All the activity around how the nation votes and runs its elections is a reflection of the Republican president’s long fixation on his false claim that his 2020 election defeat was rigged.
Verb
-
During its week-long test this past March, engineering teams monitored ERNEST across several navigational scenarios, including traveling at night and other poor lighting conditions to simulate certain lunar environments.
-
These digital tools are built upon real-world operational datasets gathered from active fusion research environments, which will allow the company to simulate and optimize fuel handling processes before physical implementation.
Cite this Entry
“Put on.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/put%20on. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
