1
as in to throw (on)
to place on one's person
I put on a coat and shoes to go outside
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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
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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
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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
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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
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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of put on
Martin Vassolo, Axios, 20 Nov. 2024
The officers involved were put on paid leave as the investigation continued.
—Karen Bartunek, The Arizona Republic, 20 Nov. 2024
Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 3 May 2024
As Patrick lopes through the film intruding into people’s space with his strength and his shameless habit of stealing their snacks (and dropping his shorts), Guadagnino over-indulges in close-ups of O’Connor scrunching up his mouth in a put-on smirk.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 25 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for put on 
Verb
There are dozens of musical happenings and bashes to put on your radar.
—Martin Vassolo, Axios, 20 Nov. 2024
The officers involved were put on paid leave as the investigation continued.
—Karen Bartunek, The Arizona Republic, 20 Nov. 2024
Adjective
While broadly based in reality, the entire movie is a put-on, a wackazoid tall tale, a comedy that uses the breakfast wars as the jumping-off point for a high-camp exercise in nostalgic lunacy.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 3 May 2024
As Patrick lopes through the film intruding into people’s space with his strength and his shameless habit of stealing their snacks (and dropping his shorts), Guadagnino over-indulges in close-ups of O’Connor scrunching up his mouth in a put-on smirk.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 25 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for put on
Recent Examples of Synonyms for put on
Verb
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The sapphire hues in the Voyager 2 mission photos were exaggerated by image processing to showcase the swirling cloud patterns more prominently.Shi En Kim, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Nov. 2024
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It's widely believed that Blanchard was a victim of Munchausen syndrome by proxy; a rare form of abuse in which a guardian exaggerates or induces illness in a child for sympathy and attention.Becca Longmire, People.com, 16 Oct. 2024
Verb
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Some staffers pretended to call on behalf of a depressed relative.Max Blau, ProPublica, 14 Nov. 2024
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Keeping your account also prevents anyone from taking your username (and maybe pretending to be you).David Nield, Popular Science, 14 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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Our team spent four months building a minute-by-minute playbook, conducting two full-scale mock cutovers and stress-testing every critical system.Sidharth Ramsinghaney, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
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Experience mock classes led by prominent professors, explore diverse legal career paths, and receive personalized admissions guidance.Kimberly Wilson, Essence, 3 Nov. 2024
Noun
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Electronic surveillance itself doesn’t make The Conversation a political film; Caul’s paranoia comes from his apolitical pretense.Armond White, National Review, 16 Aug. 2024
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But in his youth lies the reason for anonymity and pretense, Hoback claims.Joel Khalili, WIRED, 22 Oct. 2024
Noun
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Jacob believed that the capitalization of common nouns was an inorganic import and did away with it, a choice that inspired parodies in the German press.Jennifer Wilson, The New Yorker, 4 Nov. 2024
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Saturday Night Live recap: Host John Mulaney makes grand return with Chappell Roan and surprise guests To start, Kenan Thompson and Ego Nwodim sing a Lion King parody revealing that the carton is filled with possum milk.Shania Russell, EW.com, 3 Nov. 2024
Verb
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In an October 23, 2020 Instagram post, Shah donned a structured corset-dress apparently made of Joe Biden signs.Victoria Bekiempis, Vulture, 12 Nov. 2024
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The singer donned a short wig as well as Prince’s iconic purple coat and boots from the movie while holding a matching guitar.Staff Author, People.com, 5 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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The source of those flames: a Christmas celebration that climaxes with ten helicopters dropping fake snow on the partygoers, a stunt that turns out to be a bad idea because of strong winds and some not-up-to-code fire extinguishers.Keith Phipps, Vulture, 17 Nov. 2024
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After 1935, duck and goose hunters were limited to fake decoys.Alice Jones Webb, Outdoor Life, 14 Nov. 2024
Noun
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The symbols showed images of fringed textiles and vessels being carried in nets, many of which are moving toward building facades.Ashley Strickland, CNN, 5 Nov. 2024
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The concept of the new boutique is defined by a bright facade bathed in backlight, with crisscrossing lines creating green triangular shapes that echo the brand’s classic logo.Lisa Lockwood, WWD, 4 Nov. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Put on.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/put%20on. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.
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