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• put-on
  put-on

  noun

  an act or instance of putting someone on.
• put on
  put on

  verb

  to clothe oneself in

put-on

American  

[poot-on, -awn, poot-on, -awn] / ˈpʊtˌɒn, -ˌɔn, ˈpʊtˈɒn, -ˈɔn /

noun

Informal.

1. an act or instance of putting someone on.

2. a prank or pretense, especially one perpetrated or assumed in mock seriousness; hoax; spoof.

3. affected manner or behavior; pretentiousness.

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adjective

1. assumed, feigned, pretended, or disguised.

   a put-on manner that didn't fool anyone.

put on British  

verb

1. to clothe oneself in

   to put on a coat

2. (usually passive) to adopt (an attitude or feeling) insincerely

   his misery was just put on

3. to present or stage (a play, show, etc)

4. to increase or add

   she put on weight

   the batsman put on fifty runs before lunch

5. to cause (an electrical device) to function

6. (also preposition) to wager (money) on a horse race, game, etc

   he put ten pounds on the favourite

7. (also preposition) to impose as a burden or levy

   to put a tax on cars

8. cricket to cause (a bowler) to bowl

9. 1. to connect (a person) by telephone

   2. slang to mock or tease

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noun

1. a hoax or piece of mockery

2. an affected manner or mode of behaviour

put on Idioms  

1. Clothe oneself with, as in I put on my socks . [Mid-1400s]

2. Apply, activate, as in He put on the brakes . [Mid-1700s]

3. Assume affectedly, pretend to, as in He put on a British accent . This idiom is sometimes put as put it on , as in He's not really asleep; he's putting it on . [Late 1600s; late 1800s]

4. put someone on . Tease or mislead another, as in I don't believe you! You're putting me on . [ Slang ; mid-1900s]

5. Add to, gain, as in Please put this on our bill , or I've put on some weight .

6. Cause to be performed, produce, as in I hear they're putting on Shakespeare this summer . [Late 1800s]

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Etymology

Origin of put-on

1855–60; adj., noun use of verb phrase put ( someone ) on

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

put-on put on

Mr. Stoll projects a slick self-confidence that seems slightly put-on, a hard crust over a more complicated personality.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 14, 2026

Even the husky TED-talking voice Holmes used to invest herself with greater seriousness and authority was a put-on.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 7, 2025

He described the unorthodox and at times controversial comedian Andy Kaufman as “the pre-eminent put-on artist of his generation” and “a pioneering practitioner of various cultural trends long before they ever became trends.”

From New York Times ● Mar. 28, 2023

This sounds heavy, but “Emergency” possesses an extraordinarily light touch, with Williams moving the action along at a satisfying trot and Dávila’s dialogue never feeling preachy or put-on.

From Washington Post ● May 18, 2022

Ximena’s snarkiness, by the way, was completely put-on.

From "Auggie & Me" by R. J. Palacio

Leonard was traded to the Toronto Raptors on June 30 for Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick and a slew of draft picks, but the deal was put on hold pending the outcome of the investigation.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 2, 2026

But the plan was put on hold following an outcry from ranchers, administration officials, including Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, and some congressional Republicans, The Wall Street Journal reported.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026

For example, when the Sussexes’ mansion was last put on the market, it was listed as having seven bedrooms and 13.5 bathrooms.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 31, 2026

After the Bosnian war, Mladić went on the run for 16 years until he was finally tracked down in rural Serbia in 2011 and put on trial at The Hague.

From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2026

I put on all my extra clothes and it is still too cold.

From "Woodsong" by Gary Paulsen