have on

verb

had on; having on; has on
Synonyms of have onnext

transitive verb

1
: wear
has on a new suit
2
chiefly British : to trick or deceive intentionally : put on sense 5
3
chiefly British : to have plans for
What do you have on for tomorrow?

Synonyms of have on

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of have on in a Sentence

you're having me on, aren't you, mate?
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The country’s declining birth rate has raised concerns among some conservative politicians who fear the effects a shrinking population could have on the economy and national security. — David Hickey, NBC news, 21 Oct. 2026 Two words that Dream guard Jordin Canada and coach Karl Smesko used to describe the night that forward Angel Reese had on Monday night. — Lauren Williams, AJC.com, 20 Oct. 2026 The unrest comes on the eve of Art Basel Paris this week, sparking concerns about the impact this may have on the fair and a packed week of art events throughout the city. — Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 19 Oct. 2026 The party’s lawsuit, filed Friday night, addresses the impact the ad could have on the upcoming election. — Justin Garcia, Miami Herald, 19 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for have on

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of have on was before the 12th century

Rhymes for have on

See All Rhymes for have on

Browse Nearby Words

have no wish
have on
have one's cake and eat it too
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Have on.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/have%20on. Accessed 22 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of vocation

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Oct. 23

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All