putverb
uk/pʊt/us/pʊt/present participle putting, past tense and past participle putput verb (MOVE)
A1 [ T + adv/prep ] to move something or someone into the stated place, position, or direction:
Where have you put the keys?
Put your clothes in the cupboard.
He put salt into the sugar bowl by mistake.
She put her bag on the table.
She put her hands over her eyes.
I put my arm around him to comfort him.
We always put the cat out (= outside the house) at night.
Every night, she puts out her clothes (= takes them from where they are kept so that they are ready) for the next day.
If we put the chairs a little closer together (= move them nearer to each other), we should be able to get another one around the table.
If you put together (= mix) yellow and blue paint you get green.
The prisoners were put up against (= moved into a position next to) a wall and shot.
More examples
- I've put the beer in the fridge to chill.
- Why don't we put the bed against the wall?
- Aha, that's where I put my keys!
- Throw your gun down and put your hands in the air.
- I emptied the closet and put my belongings into the black overnight case.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Placing and positioning an object
- -based
- appose
- bung
- change sth around
- consign
- consign sb/sth to sth
- fit
- install
- manoeuvre
- perch
- position
- sandwich sb/sth between sb/sth
- sandwich sth together
- set sb down
- set sth down
- shelve
- shove
- stand
- stuff
- whack
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put verb (WRITE)
A2 [ T + adv/prep ] to write something:
She puts her name in all her books.
Put an X next to the name of the candidate you want to vote for.
I've put the date of the party down in my diary.
He asked me to put my objections (down) on paper.
It was an interesting article but I wish they'd put in more information (= included more information) about the costs.
More examples
- Put your name at the top of each sheet.
- I put something about my previous work experience.
- This is where you have to put your family details.
- Put the address in the top, right-hand corner.
- She put that she wanted to work in the media.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Writing & typing
- asterisk
- borrow
- chalk
- co-author
- compose
- copy
- creative writing
- enter
- fair sth out
- fire
- ghostwrite
- misspell
- orthography
- record
- run
- scrawl
- transcription
- typing
- write sth up
- written
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put verb (EXPRESS)
C2 [ T usually + adv/prep ] to express something in words:
She wanted to tell him that she didn't want to see him any more, but she didn't know how to put it.
We're going to have to work very hard, but as Chris so succinctly put it, there's no gain without pain.
Why do you always have to put things so crudely?
Has everyone had a chance to put their point of view?
put a price/value/figure on sth
to say what you think the price or value of something is:
The agent has put a price of £720,000 on our house.
You can't put a value on friendship (= say what it is worth).
to put it bluntly, simply, mildly, etc.
used to describe the way you are expressing an event or opinion:
To put it bluntly, you're going to have to improve.
He was annoyed, to put it mildly (= he was very annoyed).
More examples
- To put it simply - I think she's wrong.
- "What's her new boyfriend like?" "Well, how shall I put it? He's unusual."
- You really should try to put things a bit more tactfully - you've upset her now.
- This sentence is rather confusing - how can we put it a bit more clearly?
- On yesterday's programme, we heard the actor put his views on media harassment very forcefully.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Saying & uttering
- (your) every word idiom
- add
- come
- come out with sth
- every
- find your voice idiom
- floor
- get sth in
- in words of one syllable idiom
- in your own words idiom
- misspeak
- mouth
- phrase
- speak
- string
- text
- think
- use
- utterance
- volunteer
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You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
Estimating value
Ways of talking
put verb (CONDITION)
B2 [ T ] to cause someone or something to be in the stated condition or situation:
Are you prepared to put your children at risk?
This puts me in a very difficult position.
What has put you in such a bad mood?
This election is a chance for the country to put a new government in (= elect a new government).
It's broken into so many pieces, it'll be impossible to put it back together again (= repair it).
Let's give her the chance to put her ideas into practice.
The terrorists were put on trial (= their case was judged in a court of law) six years after the bombing.
Wilson was put out (of the competition) (= was defeated) by Clarke in the second round.
[ + adj ] How much did it cost to have the television put right (= repaired)?
I originally thought he was Australian, but he soon put me straight (= corrected me) and explained he was from New Zealand.
I know she's gone forever, but I just can't put her out of my mind/head (= forget her).
He's putting me under pressure to change my mind.
More examples
- That walk has put some colour in your cheeks.
- If you can't control your dog, put it on a lead!
- My doctor's put me on a course of antibiotics.
- The doctor put me on a low-salt diet to reduce my blood pressure.
- We put up our tents and made a small fire.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Causing things to happen
- -ization
- -ize
- actuation
- agent
- awaken (sth) in sb
- be associated with sth
- beget
- draw
- equal
- fuel
- instigate
- instigator
- introduce
- lie
- plant
- rise
- usher
- usher sth in
- wreak
- wrought
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put verb (OPERATION)
[ T usually + adv/prep ] to bring into operation; to cause to be used:
When the drugs failed to cure her, she put her faith/trust in herbal medicine.
The school puts a lot of emphasis on teaching children to read and write.
He's putting pressure on me to change my mind.
The events of the last few weeks have put a real strain on him.
In the story of Sleeping Beauty, the wicked fairy puts a spell/curse (US hex) on the baby princess.
You know it was your fault, so don't try to put the blame on anyone else.
The government is expected to put a new tax on cars.
The new tax will put 15 percent on fuel prices (= increase them by 15 percent).
She's never put a bet/money on a race before.
He put everything he had into (= he used all his abilities and strength in) the final game.
The more you put into something, the more you get out of it (= the harder you work at something, the more satisfying it is).
They put (= invested) a lot of money into the family business.
The president is trying to put through (= bring into operation) reforms of the country's economic system.
They've got to put an end to/a stop to their fighting (= to stop fighting).
More examples
- The latest education reforms have put extra pressure on teachers.
- Johnson was influential in persuading the producers to put money into the film.
- Their constant arguments were putting a strain on their marriage.
- She tried to cure the pain in my knee by putting manual pressure on the joint.
- You must try to put a curb on your spending habits.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Causing things to happen
- -ization
- -ize
- actuation
- agent
- awaken (sth) in sb
- be associated with sth
- beget
- draw
- equal
- fuel
- instigate
- instigator
- introduce
- lie
- plant
- rise
- usher
- usher sth in
- wreak
- wrought
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put verb (JUDGE)
[ T + adv/prep ] to judge something or someone in comparison with other similar things or people:
I'd put him among the top six tennis players of all time.
Drama critics have put her on a level/par with the great Shakespearean actresses.
He always puts the needs of his family first/last (= they are the most/least important thing to him).
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Analysing and evaluating
- analyse
- analyser
- analyst
- analytical
- analyze
- go through sth
- have the measure of sb/sth idiom
- inspect
- inspection
- interpretive
- judge
- measure
- proof
- sell sb/yourself/sth short idiom
- set great, little, etc. store by sth idiom
- sift
- sit
- sit in judgment on/over sb idiom
- size sth/sb up
- survey
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put verb (SAIL)
[ I + adv/prep ] to travel in a boat or ship across the sea:
Our mast broke, so we had to put about (= turn round) and return to port.
The ship put in at (= stopped at) Cape Town for fresh supplies.
We put to sea (= began our journey by sea) at dawn.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Sailing & boating
- bail
- bale
- becalmed
- crew
- cruise
- draft
- knot
- nautical
- navigable
- ocean-going
- passage
- pilot
- rafting
- sea legs
- seafaring
- seamanship
- shipboard
- tack
- whitewater rafting
- yachtswoman
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Idiom(s)
put your back into sth
put yourself in sb's place/position/shoes
put sb to sth
put it about
put it there!
put one over on sb
put the shot
put the squeeze on sb
Phrasal verb(s)
put sth about/around
put sth across/over sb
put sth across
put yourself across
put sth aside
put sth at sth
put sth away
put sb away
put sth back
put sth before sb
put sth behind you
put sth by
put sth/sb down
put sth down
put sb down
put (sth) down (somewhere)
put sb down somewhere
put sb down as sth
put sb down for sth
put sth down to sth
put sth/sb forward
put sth forward
put sth in
put sth in/put sth into sth
put (sth) in
put in for sth
put sth into sth
put sth off
put sb off
put sb off (sth)
put sb off (sth/sb)
put sth on
put sb on
put sb on sth
put sb onto sth
put sth out
put sb out
put yourself out
put out
put sth over/across
put sb through sth
put sb through
put sth to sb
put sth together
put sth towards sth
put sth up
put up sth
put sth/sb up
put sb up
put up
put sb up to sth
put up with sth/sb
be put upon