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Glite Dictionary
to put one over

to put one over

4 7.8
To make someone believe something that is not true
  • phrasal verb
  • Informal
: engañar
  • I can't believe you tried to put one over on me with that fake story!
  • try to put one over
  • really put one over

Examples

Synonyms

to fool
vsto put one over
545 2.1

To trick someone into believing something that is not true

has the same aim but highlights the successful outcome of fooling
to trick
vsto put one over
289 3.5

To make someone believe something false so you can get what you want

is the same deception but emphasizes succeeding in the scheme
to deceive
vsto put one over
229 3.9

To make someone believe something that is not true to get an advantage

matches that idea but focuses on pulling off the deception
to con
vsto put one over
  • Informal
81 7.3

To trick someone into giving their money or things

is broader, covering successful fooling for any purpose not only money
to delude
vsto put one over
73 6.3

Make someone believe something that is not true

is the same idea but focuses on successfully fooling the person
to put on
vsto put one over
  • Informal
65 7.2

To trick someone, often as a joke

is the same act but usually without a joking or playful tone
to dupe
vsto put one over
57 6.4

To trick someone into believing something false

is the same act but focused on a successful overall trick
to pull a fast one
vsto put one over
  • Informal
12 8.3

To trick someone in a clever way so they do not notice

is similar but more general about fooling rather than cleverness
to bamboozle
vsto put one over
  • Informal
12 8.3

To trick someone by pretending you want to help them

is similar but not always as elaborate or theatrical in method
to play a trick on
vsto put one over
11 2.8

To fool someone as a joke

is similar but focuses on succeeding at a serious deception
to take in
vsto put one over
  • Informal
10 4.3

Make someone believe something that is not true

is similar but stresses achieving a clever successful fooling
to pull the wool over someone's eyes
vsto put one over
  • Informal
8 8.2

To trick someone by hiding the truth

is the same deceit but stresses successful clever trick
to spoof
vsto put one over
8 6.0

Pretend to be a person or website online to trick people

is broader, covering any successful fooling not only imitation tricks
to play (someone) for a fool
vsto put one over
  • Offensive
8 7.4

Treat someone as stupid to trick or cheat them

matches that idea but stresses the act of successfully fooling them
to con out of
vsto put one over
  • Slang
7 8.1

To trick someone into giving you their money or other things

is the broader successful deception not restricted to financial gain
to pull a fast one on
vsto put one over
  • Informal
6 8.1

To trick someone to gain an advantage

is the broader idea of fooling someone successfully
to put one over on
vsto put one over
  • Informal
4 7.9

To trick someone into believing something false

shares that meaning but highlights the success in fooling them
to flim-flam
vsto put one over
  • Archaic
3 9.5

To trick someone by using clever talk

is broader, meaning any successful deception rather than just schemes
to play false
vsto put one over
2 8.1

To trick someone who trusts you by hiding your real plans to get something for yourself

is similar but focuses on the final success of the deception
to gull
vsto put one over
2 8.9

To trick someone into believing something false

is the same overall act but stresses achieving the trick successfully
to con someone
vsto put one over
  • Slang
1 7.7

To trick someone to get their money

is like this but not limited to gaining tangible benefits
to befool
vsto put one over
1 9.9

To trick someone so they look silly

is similar but stresses the successful private act of fooling
to cod
vsto put one over
  • UK
1 8.8

To trick someone as a joke

is similar but tends to be used for more serious successful deception
to put one across
vsto put one over
  • UK
9.0

Make someone believe something false to trick them

is similar but stresses a successful and complete fooling
to put one past
vsto put one over
  • UK
8.3

To trick someone into believing something false

is the same deception but framed as achieving the trick
to do someone a lemon
vsto put one over
  • UK
9.9

Trick someone so they end up worse off

is similar but focuses on success rather than disadvantage

Antonyms

to expose
413 4.1

Reveal hidden facts or bad actions to people

to disclose
245 4.1

To tell people information that was secret

How Deceptive

to swindle
25 5.5
to deceive
229 3.9
to put one over
  • Informal
4 7.8
to trick
289 3.5
to mislead
152 3.9

Surface Forms

put one over infinitive
put one over past
put one over past participle
putting one over present participle
puts one over third person singular

Morphology

put + one + over

The meaning 'to deceive or trick someone' cannot be derived from the literal senses of 'put' (place), 'one' (a single person), and 'over' (above/again); the construction does not follow a standard compositional pattern that signals deception. This is an idiomatic, language-specific use (often found in informal varieties) and therefore unpredictable for a B1 learner who has not previously encountered it.

Etymology

Put one over may come from a simple trick: one popular story pictures someone quietly putting a small object over another to hide it and fool a watcher. So put one over came to mean 'to trick' or 'to deceive'.