Put Up a Fight! 12 Phrasal Verbs Using "Put"
Welcome back to our focus on phrasal verbs, combinations of verbs and other short words that create new meanings. This post will highlight many of the ways you can use "put" in your daily conversations. Let's begin!
Phrasal verbs using “put”
Put on
We “put on” clothes, makeup, jewelry, hats, etc.
- He put on his shoes and cap before running out the door.
It is also used to refer to gaining weight.
- I ate so much delicious food on my last vacation that I put on 15 pounds!
Put away
We use “put away” to refer to returning an item to its proper place, such as a shelf, closet, etc.
- Kids, put away your toys before you go to bed.
Put through
This phrasal verb is used by receptionists when they connect a caller to a particular person.
- Ms. Smith? Please hold a moment while I put you through.
Put forward
When you "put something forward," you are suggesting it.
- I put forward a bold idea during the meeting, but my colleagues seemed to like it.
Put up with
You “put up with” something when you tolerate or accept something that you do not like or enjoy.
- Our air conditioner is broken, and it’s really difficult to put up with the summer heat without it.
It is often used in negative sentences.
- They decided they couldn’t put up with the crowded city anymore, so they moved to the countryside.
Put aside
This phrasal verb can be used either literally or figuratively.
In the literal sense, it means moving something in order to make room for something else that is more important at that time. This usage sounds a bit formal.
- Put all these books aside so I’ll have space on the desk for the new computer.
When used figuratively, it has the nuance of stopping old habits in order to have a better or healthier life.
- I had to put aside the late-night parties when I decided to focus on getting my master’s degree.
It is also used as another way to say “save” when talking about money.
- I’ve been putting aside some of my paycheck each month to pay for a vacation I want to take next year.
Related article: Greenbacks and Cheddar Cheese: English Slang for Money
Put off
When you “put off” something, you wait until later to do it.
- The deadline is tomorrow, so I can’t put off the assignment anymore.
Put down
The basic meaning of this phrasal verb is to stop holding or carrying something.
- When I walked inside, I put down my bag and turned on the lights.
However, it has quite a few additional meanings.
When talking about books, it is used in the negative sense to say that a book is very interesting.
- Kelly lent me a great book last week; I can’t put it down!
And “putting something down” means writing or recording it so that it can be saved for later.
- I put down a few of my thoughts during the meeting so I could ask about them later.
There are still more!
To pay a small portion of money
We put down money when we pay a small amount of the total price. This is usually done for very expensive things such as homes and cars.
- I put down 20% of the total price of the new furniture, and I have six months to pay the rest.
To lay down a baby
Putting down a baby means placing them on a bed or in a crib so that they can sleep.
- It's time for me to put the baby down for a nap.
To end an animal’s life
Animals are put down when they are killed peacefully because they are sick or have some other problem that cannot be fixed.
- We decided to put down our pet cat when the doctor said the surgery would not help.
To criticize
When we put down a person, we are criticizing them.
- The angry fan made lots of posts on social media putting down the coach and all the players on the team.
- Don’t put yourself down; you’ll do better next time.
Related article: 13 Popular English Phrases of Encouragement
Idioms using “put”
Put something behind you
This expression refers to forgetting a difficult situation or event from the past and focusing on a more positive future.
- We had a bad argument last year, but we’ve put it behind us and have a great relationship now.
Put one’s hands together
This one is quite simple: it means "clap" or "applaud."
- Everyone, put your hands together for tonight’s musical guest!
“Put ‘er there!”
People sometimes say this very casual expression while sticking out one of their hands for a handshake. It means “Let’s shake!”
Put up a fight
When someone “puts up a fight,” they are aggressively trying to win or defend themselves.
- The local football team surprised everyone by putting up a fight against the champions.
Put someone onto something
This is a slang expression that means to recommend or introduce something to someone.
- My buddy put me onto a great local band. I'm a big fan now.
Put oneself out there
This means to risk failure or criticism in order to increase one’s chances of success.
- If you want to be a professional artist, you have to put yourself out there and show your paintings. You can’t have a career if no one sees them!
Put something past someone
This expression is always used in the negative sense and with a negative nuance. It means that you would not be surprised if a situation were true.
A
I think Clive ate the sandwich I left in the office refrigerator …
B
He’s a pretty sneaky guy, so I wouldn’t put it past him.
- I wouldn’t put it past Stacy to start that nasty rumor about me.
Put up or shut up
This is a very aggressive way to tell someone that actions are more important than words. It’s used in competition to provoke rivals to do their best.
- You’ve been bragging about your basketball skills all week. Now it’s time to put up or shut up!
Wrap-up
As you can see, there are many different situations for using these simple combinations with only one verb. There are even more phrasal verbs than this, but we'll limit our list to just these for now.
It's OK if you cannot remember them all now. Instead, focus on getting comfortable using two or three naturally in your conversations. Once you have learned those, slowly start to use more. Practice makes perfect!
