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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
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Recent Examples of made-up
Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 4 Mar. 2026
Cook said his team detected a variety of age manipulation: synthetic fraud, in which real, stolen and made-up information is used to create a new identity; identity fraud; and document fraud.
—Nick Penzenstadler, USA Today, 13 Feb. 2026
That story was 100 percent insane and made-up, and not a word of it is true.
—Mekishana Pierre, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Feb. 2026
Vietnam had an imaginary Gulf of Tonkin attack; Trump has made-up drug cartels.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 14 Jan. 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
And while OpenAI’s defenders could chalk that up to an isolated or even made-up incident, within 24 hours of the GPT-5 launch Altman was doing damage control, seemingly caught of guard by the bad reception.
—Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2025
Because a lot of things on reality TV are made-up situations and scenarios to provoke reactions and all of that stuff.
—Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 2 Aug. 2025
Something more insidious is at play with all of the half-baked or made-up statistics.
—Lisa Jarvis, Mercury News, 6 June 2025
John Wawrow, Twin Cities, 30 Apr. 2026
The game will be made up on Thursday as part of a split doubleheader.
—Laura Fay, CBS News, 29 Apr. 2026
The guidelines were approved last year by a controversial German church governing body made up of the German bishops’ conference and a Catholic lay group that has been working to have a greater say in church decision-making.
—Nicole Winfield, Fortune, 23 Apr. 2026
To start, there’s downtown’s Boon Hotel + Spa, an adults-only boutique made up of 14 guest rooms, three luxury tents, and a vintage camper, plus the titular on-site spa.
—Cu Fleshman, Travel + Leisure, 23 Apr. 2026
Very typical of the better Orange County public-school baseball teams, the Orange roster is made up of players who have experienced ups and downs as teammates for a long time.
—Steve Fryer, Oc Register, 23 Apr. 2026
Dreamy beds are made up with covetable Rivolta Carmignani linens.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Apr. 2026
Meanwhile, the company said advanced chips, defined as 7-nanometer or smaller, made up about 74% of TSMC's total wafer revenue in the quarter.
—Dylan Butts, CNBC, 16 Apr. 2026
Most of my book clubs are made up of women somewhere between the ages of 45 and 99.
—Amy Silverberg, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2026
Adjective
During his interview, Newsom spoke about his ongoing and very public feud with Trump, who received the inaugural (and made-up) FIFA Peace Prize in December.
—Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 4 Mar. 2026
Cook said his team detected a variety of age manipulation: synthetic fraud, in which real, stolen and made-up information is used to create a new identity; identity fraud; and document fraud.
—Nick Penzenstadler, USA Today, 13 Feb. 2026
That story was 100 percent insane and made-up, and not a word of it is true.
—Mekishana Pierre, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Feb. 2026
Vietnam had an imaginary Gulf of Tonkin attack; Trump has made-up drug cartels.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 14 Jan. 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
And while OpenAI’s defenders could chalk that up to an isolated or even made-up incident, within 24 hours of the GPT-5 launch Altman was doing damage control, seemingly caught of guard by the bad reception.
—Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2025
Because a lot of things on reality TV are made-up situations and scenarios to provoke reactions and all of that stuff.
—Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 2 Aug. 2025
Something more insidious is at play with all of the half-baked or made-up statistics.
—Lisa Jarvis, Mercury News, 6 June 2025
Verb
After a five-month, 120-game regular season featuring record crowds, women’s hockey enjoying a significant post-Olympic boost and with more expansion on the horizon, the Walter Cup playoff semifinalists are made up exclusively of the league’s old guard.
—John Wawrow, Twin Cities, 30 Apr. 2026
The game will be made up on Thursday as part of a split doubleheader.
—Laura Fay, CBS News, 29 Apr. 2026
The guidelines were approved last year by a controversial German church governing body made up of the German bishops’ conference and a Catholic lay group that has been working to have a greater say in church decision-making.
—Nicole Winfield, Fortune, 23 Apr. 2026
To start, there’s downtown’s Boon Hotel + Spa, an adults-only boutique made up of 14 guest rooms, three luxury tents, and a vintage camper, plus the titular on-site spa.
—Cu Fleshman, Travel + Leisure, 23 Apr. 2026
Very typical of the better Orange County public-school baseball teams, the Orange roster is made up of players who have experienced ups and downs as teammates for a long time.
—Steve Fryer, Oc Register, 23 Apr. 2026
Dreamy beds are made up with covetable Rivolta Carmignani linens.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Apr. 2026
Meanwhile, the company said advanced chips, defined as 7-nanometer or smaller, made up about 74% of TSMC's total wafer revenue in the quarter.
—Dylan Butts, CNBC, 16 Apr. 2026
Most of my book clubs are made up of women somewhere between the ages of 45 and 99.
—Amy Silverberg, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for made-up
Adjective
-
First, Jones submitted fraudulent expense reimbursement requests for fictitious business expenses.—
Irene Wright,
USA Today,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Investigators say the monthly payroll expenses and the number of employees were fictitious and that the documents used to support the monthly income for the companies were false.—
Joseph Buczek,
CBS News,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The tribute program accompanying Yakusho’s award comprised seven films personally approved by the actor, with the festival noting that his participation marked a highlight in the event’s 28-year history.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
26 Apr. 2026
-
Bravo’s reunions are a very closed set, usually comprised of only the cast, production and glam, though the latter are not on the live set or in a distance to hear audio.—
McKinley Franklin,
HollywoodReporter,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Sometimes acronyms are purposely devised to reinforce a message.—
Clarissa Brincat,
Big Think,
29 Apr. 2026
-
In a statement released earlier this month, company officials claimed the engine was devised in response to rising costs in general aviation.—
Chris Young,
Interesting Engineering,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
During their time together, Snead and McVay built teams that have played in two Super Bowls, winning one, and made eight playoff appearances.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Apr. 2026
-
The Celtics made shots in bunches and built a double-digit lead on multiple occasions.—
Tony Jones,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
If consequences are optional, deterrence is imaginary.—
Darlene Mealy,
New York Daily News,
25 Apr. 2026
-
As Siâvash increasingly retreats into imaginary characters, the documentary traces a sibling relationship shaped and strained by displacement, set against a backdrop of escalating tension between Iran and the United States that carries personal consequences for both subjects.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Phillips warns of selecting containers that are composed entirely of non-recycled plastics or those with a high-carbon footprint.—
Patricia Shannon,
Southern Living,
1 May 2026
-
Interiors are intentionally light-filled and thoughtfully composed, allowing the natural beauty of the surroundings to lead.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
Whether guiding the sound and aesthetic of the Wu-Tang Clan or scoring films for Jim Jarmusch and Quentin Tarantino, RZA has concocted an aural blueprint all his own.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2026
-
The tank weighing down the back of Kyle Nicolson’s truck holds a mixture of water, nutrients and fertilizer concocted through years of tinkering, first by his grandfather, then his dad, his uncle and his cousins.—
Jonathan Bullington,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The intensive, weeklong building sessions named after former President Jimmy Carter and his late wife Rosalynn have constructed roughly 5,000 homes in 14 countries since 1984.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
1 May 2026
-
The team constructed by former Nuggets executive Tim Connelly has ended its season twice in the last three years.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
1 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Made-up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/made-up. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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