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Synonyms

put on airs

Idioms  
  1. Assume a haughty manner, pretend to be better than one is, as in I'm sick of Claire and the way she puts on airs. Airs here means “a manner of superiority.” [c. 1700]


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

For all his crowing about his money and showing off, he really didn’t put on airs.

From Salon Nov. 23, 2025

Mr. Silvestri, who once waited on Ms. Turner, said she did not put on airs.

From New York Times May 25, 2023

Sometimes you get intimidated by people because of their intellect, but she never put on airs.

From Seattle Times Nov. 25, 2022

“He was really deep, but he didn’t put on airs about his knowledge.”

From Los Angeles Times Jun. 4, 2018

“They’ve got millions, but they live like human beings. They don’t put on airs and strut. Mrs. Dalton believes that people should be that way.”

From "Native Son" by Richard Wright

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