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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:

Zaluzhny was already known as an ambitious and modern commander, but also an unpretentious man who liked to joke with his subordinates and didn't put on airs.

From BBC Jun. 14, 2023

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

From Seattle Times Nov. 25, 2022

His voters like that he doesn't put on airs or act as though he is better than they are.

From Salon Aug. 24, 2018

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

From Los Angeles Times Jun. 4, 2018

It let her feel like she was distancing herself from her mother, who Terryl always felt put on airs that everything was okay.

From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel

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