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general::
put sth away
[ M ] STORE
1. to put something in the place or container where it is usually kept
• Put your toys away now., put sth on
[ M ] PRETEND
3. to pretend to have a particular feeling or way of behaving which is not real or natural to you
• Why are you putting on that silly voice ?
• There's no need to put on that injured expression - you know you're in the wrong.
• I can't tell whether he's really upset, or if he's just putting it on., put sth out
WORK
6. [ M ] UK ( US usually contract sth out ) If you put work out, you employ someone outside your organization to do it
• The council has put the job of street-cleaning out to a private firm., put sth by
[ M ]
to save an amount of money to use later
• I try to put by a few pounds every week., put sth down to sth
to think that a problem or situation is caused by a particular thing
• I put the children's bad behaviour down to the fact that they were tired., put sth in
[ M ] OFFER
2. to formally offer a particular thing to be considered
• I've put in an application to the college.
• They've put in a bid for the company/a bid to buy the company., put sth on
[ M ] OPERATE
1. mainly UK to make a device operate, or to cause a device to play something, such as a CD or video, by pressing a switch
• Could you put the light on?
• Do you mind if I put the television/some music on?
• Don't forget to put the brake on., put sth in/put sth into sth
[ M ]
to spend a lot of time or effort doing something
• You've obviously put a lot of work in on your garden.
• If I put in some extra hours (= spend some extra hours working) today, I can have some time off tomorrow.
• We've put a lot of time and effort into making the house look nice., put sth up
[ M ] RAISE
1. to raise something, or to fix something in a raised position
• Why don't you put up your hood/umbrella (= raise it over your head) ?
• I put my hand up to ask the teacher a question.
• I put my hair up (= fixed it into a position on the top of my head) for the wedding., put sth down
[ M ] OPPOSITION
2. to stop or limit an opposing political event or group
• Police used tear gas to put the riot down.
• Thousands of troops were needed to put down the uprising., put sth towards sth
to use an amount of money to pay part of the cost of something
• My grandma gave me some money to put towards a new coat., put sth aside
[ M ] SAVE
1. to save something, usually time or money, for a special purpose
• I put aside a little every month for a deposit on a house.
• He tries to put some time aside every evening to read to the kids., put sth down
PAY
2. to pay part of the cost and promise to pay the rest later
• I've put a deposit down on a new car., put sth back
[ M ] CLOCK
4. to change a clock or watch to make it show an earlier time, for example because you are now in a part of the world where the time is different , put sb up
[ M ]
to provide someone with a place to stay temporarily
• Sally is putting me up for the weekend., put sb on
mainly US informal
to try to deceive someone into believing something that is not true
• She said she was planning to give her house to a charity for the homeless but I thought she was putting me on., put sth aside
[ M ] IGNORE
2. If you put a disagreement or problem aside, you ignore it temporarily so that it does not prevent you doing what you want to do
• Let's put our differences aside and make a fresh start.
• Can we put that question aside for now, and come back to it later?, put in for sth
to make an official request to have or do something
• I'm putting in for a job at the hospital.
• Richard's finally put in for his driving test., put sth up
[ M ] MONEY
5. to provide or lend an amount of money for a particular purpose
• The money for the new hospital was put up by an anonymous donor.
• His brother has agreed to put up bail for him., put sth down
[ M ] PRICE
3. UK ( UK and US bring sth down ) to reduce a price or a charge
• Shops are being forced to put their prices down in order to attract customers.
• It's time that the government put down interest rates., put sth/sb up
[ M ]
to suggest an idea, or to make a person available, to be considered
• It was Bob who originally put up the idea of the exhibition.
• Each party is allowed to put up one candidate.
• William has been put up as a candidate for the committee.
• Is Chris willing to be put up for election?, put sth out
INJURE
2. informal to injure part of your body by causing it to be moved out of its correct position
• He put his knee out playing football., put sb down for sth
to make a record that someone has promised to pay a particular sum of money as part of a collection to help people in need
• Put me down for a £10 donation, and you can put my husband down for the same., put sth out
MAKE WRONG
5. [ M ] If a mistake puts out a set of mathematical calculations, it causes them to be wrong
• That one error put the figures out by several thousand pounds., put sb down
BABY
2. to place and make a baby comfortable in the place where it sleeps
• I'd just put Jack down for his nap., put sth out
[ M ] LIGHT
1. to make a light stop shining by pressing a switch , put up with sth/sb
to accept or continue to accept an unpleasant situation or experience, or someone who behaves unpleasantly
• I can put up with the house being untidy, but I hate it if it's not clean.
• He's so moody - I don't know why she puts up with him.
• They have a lot to put up with (= They have a lot of difficulties)., put sth out
MOVE FORWARD
1. [ M ] to move forward part of your body, such as your hand or your tongue, from your body
• She put out her hand to shake mine.
• Don't put your tongue out - it's rude., put sb off (sth)
to take someone's attention away from what they want to be doing or should be doing
• Once she's made up her mind to do something, nothing will put her off.
• Could you be quiet please - I'm trying to concentrate and you're putting me off.
• The sudden flash of the camera put the players off their game., put sb away
[ M ]
2. slang to send someone to prison
• After what he did, he deserves to be put away for life., put sth/sb down
NAME
2. to write someone's name on a list or document, usually in order to include them in an event or activity
• Do you want me to put you down for the trip to London?
• [ R ]: I've put myself down for the office football team.
• If you want to get your children into that school, you have to put their names down at birth., put sth back
[ M ] REPLACE
1. to return an object to where it was before it was moved
• Will you put the books back when you've finished with them?, put sth over/across
[ M ]
to express an idea clearly so that people understand it
• Did you feel that you managed to put over your point of view?
• She's not very good at putting across her ideas., put sth up
[ M ] FIX
3. to fix an object to a vertical surface
• We've put up some new curtains in the living room.
• Posters advertising the concert have been put up all over the town., put sth down
[ M ] KILL
1. to kill an animal that is old, ill or injured, to prevent it from suffering
• If a horse breaks its leg, it usually has to be put down., put sth on
[ M ] COVER BODY
2. to cover part of the body with clothes, shoes, make-up or something similar
• Put your shoes on - we're going out.
• He put on his jacket.
• She puts face cream on every night., put sth up
[ M ] MONEY
4. mainly UK to increase the price or value of something
• I see they've put up the price of fuel again., put sth back
[ M ] DELAY
2. UK to delay a planned event
• We had to put the meeting back a week., put sth out
MAKE AVAILABLE
4. [ M ] to produce information and make it available for everyone to read or hear
• Police have put out a warning to people living in the area., put sth behind you
If you put an unpleasant experience behind you, you stop thinking about it, so that it does not affect your life
• Like any divorce, it was a painful business but I've put it all behind me now., put sth back
[ M ] DRINK
3. mainly UK informal to drink something quickly, especially a large amount of alcohol
• He regularly puts back six pints a night - I don't know how he does it., put sth across
[ M ]
to express your ideas and opinions clearly so that people understand them easily
• It's an interesting idea and I thought he put it across well., put sth at sth
to guess or roughly calculate that something will cost a particular amount, or that something is a particular size, number or amount
• The value of the painting has been put at £1 million.
• I'd put her at (= guess that her age is) about 35., put sb off (sth/sb)
to make someone dislike something or someone, or to discourage someone from doing something
• The smell of hospitals always puts me off.
• You have to work long hours and that puts off a lot of people.
• His attitude put me right off him.
• [ + -ing verb ]: Personally, I didn't enjoy the film, but don't let that put you off going., put sb down
INSULT
1. [ M ] informal to make someone feel silly or not important by criticizing them
• Why did you have to put me down in front of everybody like that?, put (sth) down (somewhere)
[ M ]
When an aircraft puts down, it lands, and when pilots put down their aircraft, they land
• She put down safely in the corner of the airfield., put sb through sth
EDUCATION
2. to pay for someone to study at school, college or university
• It's costing them a lot of money to put their children through school.
• [ R ]: She's putting herself through college., put sth together
[ M ]
2. to prepare a piece of work by collecting several ideas and suggestions and organizing them
• The management are putting together a plan/proposal/package to rescue the company.
• It takes about three weeks to put the magazine together., put sth before sb
TELL
2. to formally tell or explain facts or ideas to a group of people in authority
• We've got to put our proposal before the committee., put sth on
[ M ] WEIGHT
5. If people or animals put weight on, they become heavier
• I'd expected to put weight on when I gave up smoking, but I didn't.
• He's put on 10 pounds in the last month., put sb out
1. [ M ] to cause trouble or extra work for someone
• Would it put you out if we came tomorrow instead of today?, put up
mainly UK
to stay somewhere for the night
• We put up at a small hotel for the night., put (sth) in
[ M ]
to say something which adds to or interrupts what is already being said
• [ + speech ]: "But She's rather inexperienced for the job, " put in Jane., put sth about/around
[ M ] informal
to tell a lot of people something that is not true
• [ + that ]: I'd like to know who put the rumour around that I'm pregnant.
• Someone's been putting it about that Dan is leaving., put sth on
[ M ] PRODUCE
4. mainly UK to produce or provide something, especially for the good of other people or for a special purpose
• She put on a wonderful meal for us.
• They've put on a late-night bus service for students., put sth across/over sb
informal
to cause a piece of false information to be believed by one or more people
• You didn't manage to put that story over on the tax people, did you?, put sb up to sth
to encourage someone to do something, usually something wrong
• I think he was put up to it by his friends., put up sth
to show or express a particular type of opposition to something
• The villagers were unable to put up any resistance to the invading troops.
• We're not going to let them build a road here without putting up a fight., put sth out
MAKE AVAILABLE
3. [ M ] to produce something in large quantities, so that it can be sold
• They put out millions of pairs of shoes a year., put sth to sb
1. to suggest an idea or plan to someone so that they can consider it or discuss it
• "Shall we all go out for a pizza tonight?" "I don't know. I'll put it to Jim and see what he says."
• [ + that ]: formal I put it to you (= I believe it to be true) , Ms Dawson, that you were in the building at the time of the murder., put sth/sb forward
[ M ] ( US put sth/sb forth )
to state an idea or opinion, or to suggest a plan or person, for other people to consider
• The proposals that you have put forward deserve serious consideration.
• I wasn't convinced by any of the arguments that he put forward.
• Many suggestions have been put forward, but a decision is unlikely until after next year's general election.
• The peace plan put forward last August has been revived for the latest round of negotiations.
• [ R ]: She has decided to put her name /put her self forward as a candidate., put sth to sb
2. to ask someone a question
• I have a question I want to put to you., put sth down
TELEPHONE
1. If you put the telephone down, you place the receiver back in the position you keep it in when it is not being used. , put sb out
2. [ M usually passive ] to annoy or upset someone, often by what you do or say to them
• She was rather put out when they turned up two hours late for dinner.
• He seemed a bit put out at not having been invited., put sb through sth
BAD EXPERIENCE
1. to make someone experience something unpleasant or difficult
• I'm sorry to put you through this ordeal., put sth up
[ M ] BUILD
2. to build something
• They're planning to put a hotel up where the museum used to be.
• We're going to put up a new fence around our garden., put sb onto sth
to introduce a person to something or someone that could bring them an advantage
• David put me onto a wonderful vegetarian cookery book.
• Can you put me onto (= tell me where to find) a good dentist?, put sth before sb
IMPORTANCE
1. to give more attention to one thing than another because you think it is more important
• I'd never put my work before my family., put sth forward
[ M ]
to change a clock or watch to make it show a later time, especially an hour later
• Most European countries put the clocks forward in the spring., put sth out
[ M ] STOP BURNING
2. to make something that is burning, such as a fire or cigarette, stop burning
• Firefighters have been called to put out the fire in the city centre.
• Would you mind putting your cigarette out, please?, put sth/sb down
STOP HOLDING
1. [ M ] to put an object that you are holding onto the floor or onto another surface, or to stop carrying someone
• I put my bags down while we spoke.
• Put me down, Daddy!, put sth off
[ M ]
to decide or arrange to delay an event or activity until a later time or date
• The meeting has been put off for a week.
• [ + -ing verb ]: I can't put off going to the dentist any longer., put sth together
[ M ]
1. to put the parts of something in the correct places and join them to each other
• Model aeroplanes come in pieces which you have to put together., put sb down somewhere
[ M ] UK slightly old-fashioned
to stop a vehicle and allow someone to get out of it or off it
• Ask the taxi driver to put you down outside the church., put sb off
[ M ]
to tell someone that you cannot see them or do something for them, or stop them from doing something, until a later time
• I really don't want to go out with Helen and Greg tonight - can't we put them off ?
• He keeps asking me out, and I keep putting him off.
Cambridge-Phrasal Verbs