1
as in shows
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in spoofs
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for put-ons
Noun
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The eligibility dates for the 2024 Emmy Awards apply to shows that aired between June 1, 2024, and May 31, 2025.—
Saman Shafiq,
USA Today,
14 Sep. 2025 -
There will be mermaid swim shows and meet and greets, pirate adventure shows and sailor camp.—
Erika I. Ritchie,
Oc Register,
13 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Today, Neeson is doing action spoofs (thank God), and even the John Wick series has run its course.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
13 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Harold is so clearly not a great man that his pretenses feel more like cries for help.—
Jeremy Gordon,
The Atlantic,
12 Sep. 2025
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They were arraigned on Friday in Brockton District Court on one count each of larceny over $1,200 by false pretenses, embezzlement, and conspiracy.—
Rick Sobey,
Boston Herald,
22 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Last year, in response to some political parodies that used images created by artificial intelligence, including one that pilloried Vice President Kamala Harris, the Legislature passed and Newsom signed two measures to outlaw such tomfoolery.—
Dan Walters,
Mercury News,
5 Sep. 2025
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Kaufman and Herz co-founded Troma Entertainment in 1974, which has produced or distributed more than 1,000 low-budget parodies in the past five decades, including the original Toxic Avenger movie in 1984.—
Tim Lammers,
Forbes.com,
29 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Bad actors can take on all kinds of guises—including pretending to be lawyers.—
Kelly Phillips Erb,
Forbes.com,
15 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Work on the facades and interior will continue for several years, the church’s head of construction Esteve Camps said, but the goal is to finish building work in approximately a decade from now.—
Nino Paoli,
Fortune,
19 Sep. 2025
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Meg lived in a somewhat offbeat district, but the tall shabby houses, some of them painted in garish colours, were soon left behind and gave place to discreetly glistening cream or white facades behind one of which Leonora lived.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The pictures show the wide-eyed feline in a series of irresistible poses—lying on her back exposing her soft belly, sitting upright with her bright blue eyes gleaming, and playfully posing for the camera.—
Lucy Notarantonio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Sep. 2025
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For the past decade, analysts have debated how much of a threat the clean energy transition poses to the oil and gas industry.—
Justin Worland,
Time,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
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How to watch The Rainmaker live without cable The Rainmaker airs on USA Network, which is available to stream on services like Sling TV.—
Jason Pham,
StyleCaster,
12 Sep. 2025
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The Drew Barrymore Show airs weekdays on CBS.—
Emlyn Travis,
Entertainment Weekly,
11 Sep. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Put-ons.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/put-ons. Accessed 20 Sep. 2025.
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