try on
Britishverb
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to put on (an article of clothing) to find out whether it fits or is suitable
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informal to attempt to deceive or fool someone
noun
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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]
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Test the effectiveness or acceptability of something, as in The actors decided to try on the new play out of town . [Late 1800s] Also see try out .
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.
Scotland's speed was proving too much for England's depleted defence and, after Russell went wide to Steyn on the right, play swept across field with unmarked back-row forward Ritchie scoring a try on the left.
From Barron's • Feb. 14, 2026
Seven months after Proudfoot's visit, Ashman scored a try on his Scotland debut against Australia at Murrayfield.
From BBC • Feb. 13, 2026
“Company,” a reggae tune with a guest appearance from Jamaican dancehall vocalist Buju Banton, gives Ms. Lennox an opportunity to try on a sing-song melodic guise and it suits her.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 27, 2026
Both sides then spurned chances, with George Turner inches away from a try on his first league start, before Saints levelled the scores.
From BBC • Jan. 3, 2026
The little boy has his shoe off and his mother is putting cardboard cutouts of his feet into the shoes he wants to try on.
From "Betty Before X" by Ilyasah Shabazz and Renée Watson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
