as in fictitious
not real and existing only in the imagination
the bogeyman was one of those made-up monsters whose sole purpose was to threaten children
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in comprised
to be all the substance of
the book is made up of 20 chapters
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in devised
to create or think of by clever use of the imagination
she keeps making up excuses as to why she hasn't yet finished the project
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in built
to form by putting together parts or materials
we'll have to make up the bookcase, which came in a box marked "some assembly required"
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of made-up
Mia Taylor, Parents, 16 Jan. 2025
Telling lies to appease a user even if a false or made-up answer is provided.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes, 16 Sep. 2024
But to pursue a state of purity—even a fictional one; even a made-up, obviously impure one—still feels righteous.
—Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 26 Aug. 2024
Not long after that, the reader’s manager started reprimanding Autumn Leaves 523 for humming, misdirecting a package, and other minor or made-up infractions.
—Karla Miller, Washington Post, 11 Apr. 2024
Her mother Dee Dee Blanchard lived with Munchausen syndrome by proxy, a psychological disorder in which parents or caregivers seek sympathy through the exaggerated or made-up illnesses of their children.
—Alexandra Del Rosario, Los Angeles Times, 28 Dec. 2023
Under the visage of the monster he was made-up to be, shined the kindest of spirits.
—Ingrid Vasquez, Peoplemag, 14 Dec. 2023
Clad in a bright matching jumpsuit, blonde hair wrapped delicately in a chic scarf and face made-up proper, donning oversized sunglasses, her charisma is on full display.
—Holly Jones, Variety, 15 Oct. 2023
Gorgeously made-up, with earrings, necklaces, bracelets, rings, a corset, and a cloak, Inanna set forth.
—Matthew Gavin Frank, Harper's Magazine, 11 Aug. 2022
Adjective
To answer these questions, a group of 15 participants made-up of university students, recent graduates, and young adults, played the four online games mentioned—Valorant, Counter-Strike 2, Overwatch 2, and Fortnite.
—Mia Taylor, Parents, 16 Jan. 2025
Telling lies to appease a user even if a false or made-up answer is provided.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes, 16 Sep. 2024
But to pursue a state of purity—even a fictional one; even a made-up, obviously impure one—still feels righteous.
—Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 26 Aug. 2024
Not long after that, the reader’s manager started reprimanding Autumn Leaves 523 for humming, misdirecting a package, and other minor or made-up infractions.
—Karla Miller, Washington Post, 11 Apr. 2024
Her mother Dee Dee Blanchard lived with Munchausen syndrome by proxy, a psychological disorder in which parents or caregivers seek sympathy through the exaggerated or made-up illnesses of their children.
—Alexandra Del Rosario, Los Angeles Times, 28 Dec. 2023
Under the visage of the monster he was made-up to be, shined the kindest of spirits.
—Ingrid Vasquez, Peoplemag, 14 Dec. 2023
Clad in a bright matching jumpsuit, blonde hair wrapped delicately in a chic scarf and face made-up proper, donning oversized sunglasses, her charisma is on full display.
—Holly Jones, Variety, 15 Oct. 2023
Gorgeously made-up, with earrings, necklaces, bracelets, rings, a corset, and a cloak, Inanna set forth.
—Matthew Gavin Frank, Harper's Magazine, 11 Aug. 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for made-up
Adjective
-
However, that didn’t stop the fictitious school district from announcing closings as the North Texas deals with freezing rain and snow.—
Harrison Mantas,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
10 Jan. 2025
-
Much like the fictitious film, Moss’s relationship with his youngest child’s mother has been tumultuous.—
Amber Corrine,
VIBE.com,
6 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
Carter’s look comprised a corset top with crystal embellishments and matching pants featuring a slit around the knees to improve her mobility during the performance.—
Renan Botelho,
WWD,
26 Dec. 2024
-
Each unit comprised a photon transceiver and a digital processing unit, and the devices were hooked together via 10 km of dedicated optical fiber.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
21 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
That should become a standard part of the chain-of-thoughts being devised by AI.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes,
23 Dec. 2024
-
Similarly, Ping’s team devised a system that pauses the pH-modulating current just long enough for a graphene transistor to record accurate readings without interference.—
Srishti Gupta,
Interesting Engineering,
20 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
As if the children of the Jews who have built so much of and in Chicago were merely an afterthought.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Dec. 2024
-
It's being built east of South Lincoln Memorial Drive and north of the Lake Express Ferry Terminal.—
Tom Daykin,
Journal Sentinel,
24 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
Advertisement Since Southern California was located somewhere near 6:30 on this imaginary clock face, the result was winds traveling from east to west — the opposite of their normal direction.—
Ned Kleiner,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Jan. 2025
-
The feature, from experimental filmmaker Matthew Rankin, is an absurdist comedy set in an imaginary Canada where French and Farsi are the country’s two official languages.—
Scott Roxborough,
The Hollywood Reporter,
10 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
The monument is composed of rocks transported from far and wide—impressive feats of shipping for its Neolithic builders.—
Sonja Anderson,
Smithsonian Magazine,
24 Dec. 2024
-
Every product was determined to have excelled in each category by our editorial team, which is composed of in-house writers and editors as well as contributors—along with special consideration from dermatologists.—
Jenny Berg,
Allure,
24 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
In his office, Berg used an ice axe to pitch Smith on a collaboration, which would eventually follow a fictional frontiersman and mother-son duo navigating the Westward expansion.—
Abbey White,
The Hollywood Reporter,
18 Jan. 2025
-
The duo first shared the screen in 1999's Any Given Sunday, which follows a fictional professional football team.—
Nicholas Rice,
People.com,
18 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
The Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials (CIO), working with police and military investigators, is probing whether Yoon's actions constituted rebellion.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
2 Jan. 2025
-
In a forum on Eleven Warriors, a popular Buckeyes fan website, a commenter recently polled fellow fans about what constituted success this season.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC News,
31 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near made-up
Cite this Entry
“Made-up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/made-up. Accessed 22 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share