try on


verb(tr, adverb)
  1. to put on (an article of clothing) to find out whether it fits or is suitable

  2. try it on informal to attempt to deceive or fool someone

nountry-on
  1. British informal an action or statement made to test out a person's gullibility, tolerance, etc

Words Nearby try on

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

How to use try on in a sentence

  • As for turning him, a wild bull half-way down a range was a likelier try-on.

    Robbery Under Arms | Thomas Alexander Browne, AKA Rolf Boldrewood
  • He had thought it bluff and something in the nature of a try-on; but he had determined to put a stop to it.

    The Black Opal | Katharine Susannah Prichard
  • Why it's transparent as crystal, and is simply a verdant try-on at a pun.

  • "You'll soon see whether it's a try-on or not," I defied him.

    The Brightener | C. N. Williamson
  • He is the busiest gentleman in England—bar none—but he is never too busy for a try-on or for a consultation.

    The Burglars' Club | Henry A. Hering

Other Idioms and Phrases with try on

try on

Test the fit or look of a garment by putting it on, as in Do you want to try on this dress? This expression is also put as try on for size, which is sometimes used figuratively, as in The teacher wanted to try the new method on for size before agreeing to use it. [Late 1600s]

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.