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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3
as in to pretend
to present a false appearance of
put on a show of anger just for fun
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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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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 of put on in a Sentence
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples on the Web
Katy McFee, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2024
Harper dressed as Aphrodite the goddess of love, putting on a long blonde wig and holding a dove in one hand.
—Hannah Sacks, People.com, 31 Oct. 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
Williams points out the pressure women put on each other and the competitive nature of women in the workplace.
—Katy McFee, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2024
Harper dressed as Aphrodite the goddess of love, putting on a long blonde wig and holding a dove in one hand.
—Hannah Sacks, People.com, 31 Oct. 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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Someone will exaggerate a situation or feeling to grab your attention or lead you astray.Eugenia Last, The Mercury News, 31 Oct. 2024
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As in 2020, Trump’s playbook in Pennsylvania involves exaggerating and mischaracterizing any irregularities around the state’s election to bolster claims of widespread fraud.Kevin Breuninger, CNBC, 30 Oct. 2024
Verb
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In WandaVision, Wanda turned her into the wacky sitcom neighbor that Agatha had once pretended to be.Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 1 Nov. 2024
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Now, admittedly, there are other ways for the AI to do this behind the scenes and silently send commands via your computer and perform these actions, but that’s a bit tricky and not as transparent as pretending to be actively using your keyboard and mouse.Lance Eliot, Forbes, 1 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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Wear rubber gloves and clip a mangled licking branch (which holds the forehead and saliva scent of several bucks and does) from atop an active scrape and wire it over a mock scrape near your stand.Michael Hanback, Outdoor Life, 7 Nov. 2024
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Miller recently pitched a mock trade that would send Crochet to Philadelphia.Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024
Noun
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But in his youth lies the reason for anonymity and pretense, Hoback claims.Joel Khalili, WIRED, 22 Oct. 2024
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Liberals, apparently, got up close to voters under the pretense of handing out food and water.Antonia Hitchens, The New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2024
Noun
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The line between parody and true life shifts, sometimes mid-sentence.Brendan Menapace, SPIN, 5 Nov. 2024
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At times sounding like a fanatical parody of the Mann of Reflections, Naphta argues that love of freedom and pleasure is weaker than the desire to obey.George Packer, The Atlantic, 5 Nov. 2024
Verb
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Violet donned a black bra and some silver necklaces in the snap, teaming the gothic glam look with a classic dark red lip.Becca Longmire, People.com, 24 Oct. 2024
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Fan-favorite Disney night is back and the stars donned some classic ensembles (and questionable wigs) to make the Disney dream a reality.Calie Schepp, EW.com, 23 Oct. 2024
Adjective
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April 25: Trump is named an unindicted co-conspirator in Arizona fake election scheme charges.Karissa Waddick, USA TODAY, 5 Nov. 2024
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Striking a family pose, Cuoco wore a blue NFL jersey, fake beard and baseball cap, while Pelphrey sported a blonde wig, a pink Nike sweatshirt and white slides.Gabrielle Rockson, People.com, 5 Nov. 2024
Noun
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The big picture: The parking structure's new facade is the latest installation of the Art that Excites program that's curating 10 murals in public spaces around downtown Oceanside.Kate Murphy, Axios, 4 Nov. 2024
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Albert Hotel feels both modern and luxe, but also authentically-minded, thanks to the limestone facades that echo the town’s 150-year-old historic buildings and culinary offerings that will celebrate local flavors.Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 1 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 15 Nov. 2024.
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