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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There are about 340,000 pending cases in California, with highest concentration in Los Angeles county, with 95,000 open cases, TRAC data shows.
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It's been a 10-year hiatus from television for him and comes amid shifting attitudes toward cable news shows.
Noun
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But given the current box office sensations of Obsession and Backrooms, Tiddes certainly wishes the timing had allowed for spoofs of those horror movies.
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Based on the Apple TV series, the fizzy throwback spoofs Golden Age musicals, and follows an on-the-rocks couple who are trapped in a town where people sing and dance incessantly.
Noun
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At school, Jin’s oldest daughter, Jane, teams up with a Black classmate, one of few, to expose their neighbors’ prejudices and pretenses.
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Fernando Navarro, 53, of Minneapolis, is facing four counts of felony fraud for collecting nearly $70,000 in funds from Minnesota's medical assistance program under false pretenses.
Noun
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Scary Movie paved the way for more big-screen parodies, including Date Movie (2006), Epic Movie (2007), and Meet the Spartans (2008).
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Tiddes gave props to Paramount’s marketing department, which created a string of memes and myriad parodies on social media to lead the masses to Scary Movie.
Noun
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Footballing success, in differing guises, came a long time ago.
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Opponents of affirmative action, who suspect that the process is still continuing under other guises, could seek to replicate the winning strategy of the Harvard and UNC cases, if testing data show large, unexplainable gaps in academic preparation among different student groups.
Noun
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The resulting films were projected on building facades around the community.
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Video on Venezuelan state television showed buildings missing facades, tilted on their foundations.
Noun
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Roberts greets groups of guests and celebrities with enthusiasm, engages them in conversation and poses for pictures.
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Growing awareness of the dangers social media poses for young, developing brains has shown up in a wave of new restrictions globally.
Noun
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But on September 16, right after the Reacher finale airs, Amazon will put all eight episodes of Neagley online.
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General Hospital airs weekdays on ABC (check your local listings), with episodes also streaming on Hulu.
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Cite this Entry
“Put-ons.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/put-ons. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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