made-up 1 of 2

adjective

ˈmād-ˈəp How to pronounce made-up (audio)
Definition of made-upnext
as in fictitious
not real and existing only in the imagination the bogeyman was one of those made-up monsters whose sole purpose was to threaten children

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

made up

2 of 2

verb

past tense of make up
1
as in comprised
to be all the substance of the book is made up of 20 chapters

Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in devised
to create or think of by clever use of the imagination she keeps making up excuses as to why she hasn't yet finished the project

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in built
to form by putting together parts or materials we'll have to make up the bookcase, which came in a box marked "some assembly required"

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of made-up
Adjective
That story was 100 percent insane and made-up, and not a word of it is true. — Mekishana Pierre, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Feb. 2026 And there's not one right way to do it, considering the holiday is made-up and the real thing is just around the corner. — Rachel Treisman, NPR, 19 Nov. 2025
Verb
Only 7% of the agency’s nearly $60 million budget is made up from grants outside of the city’s budget. — Trinity Webster-Bass, Miami Herald, 30 Sep. 2026 Rooms Since its 2023 renovation, the hotel’s capacity decreased from 104 rooms to just 80, made up of 44 rooms and 36 suites, all of which have gained a generous amount of space. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for made-up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for made-up
  1. fictitious
  2. comprised
  3. devised
  4. built
  5. imaginary
  6. composed
  7. concocted
  8. constructed
Adjective
  • The series will be set in a fictitious Barneys in Beverly Hills, not New York, and the real founding family of the retailer, the Pressman family, has no involvement, the spokesperson said.
    — Jean E. Palmieri, Footwear News, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Dempsey appeared in Disney’s fantasy romance Enchanted (2007) as Robert Philip, a New York divorce lawyer whose orderly life is disrupted by the arrival of a fairy-tale princess (played by Amy Adams) from the fictitious land of Andalasia.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of fictitious
Verb
  • The 2026 Narrative, Animated and Documentary Shorts jury comprised Daniel Crooke, Max Geschwind and Laura Henneman.
    — Matthew Carey, Deadline, 11 Oct. 2026
  • The rankings considered four factors which comprised the districts’ student racial diversity index, parent/student surveys on culture and diversity, the percent of economically disadvantaged students and gender diversity.
    — Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of comprised
Verb
  • Kamran Pasha has devised a truly unique take that honors the source material while expanding it in an enthralling, unexpected way.
    — Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Designed for twice-daily use, the cream is meant to be applied with a massage ritual the brand devised just for the cream—a final touch on its feel-good MO.
    — Jenny Berg, Vogue, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of devised
Verb
  • The third suspect acknowledged receiving the paintings at his home and hiding them behind a wall built beneath a staircase after the theft.
    — SYLVIE CORBET, Arkansas Online, 13 Oct. 2026
  • The former is an actor, wellness entrepreneur and influencer while Church is a veteran of the beverage business who previously built Suja Organic.
    — Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of built
Adjective
  • This comes after the league rescinded fines levied against 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk and Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson for pretending to chug an imaginary drink.
    — Matt Reigle OutKick, FOXNews.com, 11 Oct. 2026
  • Still, her father’s dinner does not erase his refusal to recognize her gender; his refusal does not make the dinner or hospital bill imaginary.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of imaginary
Verb
  • The jury is composed of Cristina Cassano, head of Contemporary Italian Cinema Promotion at Cinecittà, filmmaker Sofia Exarchou and Anne Østerud, a film editor.
    — Leo Barraclough, Variety, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The association, which oversees Louisville’s sports programs and is composed of trustees, faculty, students and administrators, vote unanimously to oust the longtime Cardinals coach following a board meeting.
    — Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of composed
Verb
  • The White Sox concocted a creative playing style that blended elements of old-school small ball with home-run power.
    — Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Martha’s concocted plenty over the years, including her cider-bourbon cocktail made with apple cider, bourbon, lemon juice, ginger, and apple garnishes.
    — Wendy Rose Gould, Martha Stewart, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of concocted
Verb
  • Consider a few clues in today’s crossword, constructed by Adam Shapiro.
    — New York Times, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Sheerazie, lead gardener at Pasadena’s Arlington Garden, has studied permaculture and designed and constructed a number of swales at the garden and elsewhere.
    — Pedro Moura, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of constructed

Browse Nearby Words

made tracks
made-up
made up
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Made-up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/made-up. Accessed 20 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

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

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

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

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

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?
See More

Popular

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'
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