put on; putting on; puts on
1
2
: to cause to act or operate : apply
put on more speed
3
a
: add
put on weight
b
5
a
: to mislead deliberately especially for amusement
the interviewer … must be put down—or possibly, put on—
Melvin Maddocks
Melvin Maddocks
b
: kid entry 3 sense 1
you're putting me on
Examples of put-on in a Sentence
Adjective
a put-on goofy voice
Noun
my bravery was all a put-on—I was scared out of my wits
for a moment, I couldn't tell if the commercial was serious or a deadpan put-on of ads by other insurance companies
Verb
I put on a coat and shoes to go outside.
some critics are putting it on when they say it's the best comedy ever made
Recent Examples on the Web
Jim Newton, Mercury News, 12 July 2025
The most earnest-sounding campaign can feel like a put-on.
—Talie Smith, Forbes.com, 10 July 2025
Caron Golden, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 July 2025
The Astros put on a show in Friday night’s series opener between the two teams and handed Los Angeles its worst loss in the history of Dodger Stadium.
—Paulina Dedaj, FOXNews.com, 5 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for put-on
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Adjective
For Bass, the swirl of put-on politics is especially exasperating.
—Jim Newton, Mercury News, 12 July 2025
The most earnest-sounding campaign can feel like a put-on.
—Talie Smith, Forbes.com, 10 July 2025
Verb
Because bathroom mirrors facilitate putting on makeup and shaving, light is hugely important.
—Caron Golden, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 July 2025
The Astros put on a show in Friday night’s series opener between the two teams and handed Los Angeles its worst loss in the history of Dodger Stadium.
—Paulina Dedaj, FOXNews.com, 5 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for put-on
Cite this Entry
“Put-on.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/put-on. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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