put */*/*/

UK [pʊt] / US verb [transitive]
Word forms "put":
present tense I/you/we/they put he/she/it puts present participle putting past tense put past participle put

1)

a) to move something to a particular position, especially using your hands

She put her hand on Cliff's arm.

put something in/on/through etc something:

Did I put my wallet in your bag?

Where did you put the newspaper?

b) to kick or hit something into a particular position

put something into/out/over etc something:

Jones put the ball into the net after only 2 minutes of play.

2) to cause someone or something to be in a particular situation or state

A great goal put Liverpool ahead.

put someone in a difficult/awkward/embarrassing position:

I wish you hadn't told me – it puts me in a really difficult position.

put someone/something at risk/in jeopardy/in danger:

Several jobs have been put in jeopardy as a result of the merger.

put someone in charge/control/command (of someone/something):

She was put in charge of the marketing department.

put someone under pressure/strain/stress (= make someone feel worried and unable to relax):

I hate being put under so much pressure.

put someone to work:

He was put to work filing all the papers.

put someone out of business/out of work/out of a job (= make them lose their job or business):

Supermarkets have put many smaller shops out of business.

put someone in a good/bad mood (= make someone feel happy/annoyed):

That argument put me in a bad mood for the rest of the day.

put something into practice/effect/action/operation etc (= make it start working):

There has been a lot of criticism of the way the proposals were put into effect.

put someone at a disadvantage:

The law puts farmers in this country at a disadvantage.

3) to write or print something

Put a tick by the correct answer.

I'll put a note at the bottom of the card.

I'll put it in my diary.

You've put the comma in the wrong place.

4) to make someone go to a place

put someone in/on/to something:

We've had to put my mother in a nursing home.

If we put the kids in one room, Jean can sleep in Adam's room.

The government has promised to put more police officers on the street.

What time do you put the kids to bed?

5) to say or write something in a particular way

put something cleverly/succinctly/well:

She put it very well when she described him as "brilliant but lazy".

6) to build or place something somewhere

put something in/on etc something:

There are plans to put ten new houses on the site.

We decided to put the office upstairs.

7) to give someone or something a particular position on a list arranged according to importance, quality, or value

put someone/something among/as/in something:

I'd put Monet among the best artists of the century.

They're so different, you can't even put them in the same category.

8) to state or explain something

You will get plenty of opportunity to put your point of view.

9) to throw a heavy metal ball called a shot as a sport

He put the shot for the United States in the last three Olympic Games.

•

how shall I put it?/let me put it this way — spoken used when you are going to say something that is honest but may sound rude

Let me put it this way, he's rich, but he's certainly not attractive.

put someone/somethingbefore/over/above — to consider someone or something as being more important than someone or something else

The company had been accused of putting profits before safety.

put someone/something first — to consider someone or something as the most important person or thing

You know I always put my family first.

put your name/signature to something — to write your name at the bottom of a document or letter to show that you wrote it or agree with it

put a price/value etc on something — to make a judgment about the price or amount of something

It's a rare piece of jewellery, but I wouldn't like to put a value on it.

put simply/simply put — used for saying that you are just giving the basic facts about a complicated situation

Put simply, it was an offer we couldn't refuse.

put a stop/end to something — to make something stop happening, especially something bad or unpleasant

You ought to put a stop to that sort of behaviour.

put someone straight/right (on/about something) — to explain the real facts about a situation to someone who does not understand it correctly

I think I ought to put you straight – John is just my business partner.

put someone on a train/plane/bus etc — to make sure that someone gets on a train/plane/bus etc

put yourself in someone's place/position — to imagine what someone else's situation is like

Put yourself in my place. How would you feel if someone took your job?

- as someone puts it

- I couldn't have put it better myself

- not know where to put yourself

- put something behind you

- put something into words

- put something in writing

- to put it another way

- to put it bluntly

- to put it in a nutshell

- to put it mildly

Phrasal verbs:

- put about

- put across

- put around

- put aside

- put at

- put away

- put back

- put before

- put by

- put down

- put down as

- put down for

- put down to

- put forth

- put forward

- put in

- put in for

- put into

- put off

- put on

- put onto

- put out

- put over

- put round

- put through

- put to

- put together

- put towards

- put under

- put up

- put up to

- put up with

See:

back III, paid I, past I, stay I