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
Relevance
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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Nobody, that is, apart from the nearly 50 million people in the United States who speak Spanish fluently — along with the countless viewers who didn’t need words to catch the vibe of a performance that will go down as one of the most memorable, impactful halftime shows of all time.—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
The Orlando Sentinel,
11 Feb. 2026 -
Pop singer Demi Lovato has canceled five shows on their upcoming tour, including a Ball Arena concert, and pushed back the start date due to concerns about their health.—
John Wenzel,
Denver Post,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Way better than dusty game show and dinner party spoofs.—
Andy Hoglund,
Entertainment Weekly,
18 Jan. 2026
-
What’s Upstairs at the Downstairs is always a patchwork of mild satire, blatant spoofs, witty music, local jokes.—
Laird Borrelli-Persson,
Vogue,
21 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Johnson eventually pleaded no contest to three counts of false pretenses between $1,000 and $20,000.—
Paula Wethington,
CBS News,
29 Jan. 2026
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She is also charged with one count of embezzlement from a vulnerable adult of between $1,000 and $20,000 and one count of false pretenses of between $1,000 and $20,000.—
Paul Egan,
Freep.com,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The films remained popular throughout the early 1940s, and their impact persevered via reruns, rereleases, and even parodies, such as Eddie Murphy's not-so-little Buckwheat on Saturday Night Live.—
Andrew Walsh,
Entertainment Weekly,
30 Jan. 2026
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O’Hara’s celebrity parodies for SCTV included Brooke Shields, Lucille Ball, Elizabeth Taylor, Katherine Hepburn, Morgan Fairchild and gossip columnist Rona Barrett.—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Both marques returned to the competition this year in new guises.—
Viju Mathew,
Robb Report,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Populism in all its guises surfaces problems but rarely solves them.—
Stephen Kotkin,
Foreign Affairs,
16 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Because authenticity weighs less than facades.—
Marcus Thompson II,
New York Times,
4 Feb. 2026
-
Street art from Latino/a and Indigenous painters covers more and more facades every day.—
Lizbeth Scordo,
Condé Nast Traveler,
31 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Which means the deepest challenge AI poses may not be to jobs at all.—
Josh Tyrangiel,
The Atlantic,
10 Feb. 2026
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In a Wednesday note, analysts at the bank acknowledged very real risks that generative AI poses to traditional software companies, including the threat of new tools and newer competition, which pressure prices.—
Lisa Kailai Han,
CNBC,
4 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Many are already adopted by the time the show airs, however, thanks to their cuteness level.—
Chris Sims,
IndyStar,
8 Feb. 2026
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The ceremony airs live on NBC, Telemundo, Peacock and Universo.—
Bebe Hodges,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
8 Feb. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Put-ons.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/put-ons. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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