How to use the word put in a sentence

Examples of how to use the word “put” in a sentence. How to connect “put” with other words to make correct English sentences.

put (v): to move something or someone into the stated place, position, or direction

Use “put” in a sentence

Did you put a stamp on the envelope?
He put the ring on her finger.
Please put the folding chairs away.
The meeting was put off until next Friday.
He put his hand gently on her shoulder.
I put my gloves on inside out by mistake.
Put your hat on.
He put his hands on his hips and looked at her.
Don’t put it on my desk.
Please put it back in its place.
Please put this into the microwave oven.
You need to put your ideas into practice.
Don’t put it on my desk.
Put your hat on. It’s sunny outside.
Can I put it here?

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Examplesentences.org

Here you can find a large assortment of example sentences for the word put, or in other words sentences that can help you learn how to use put in a sentence. Learning how to use a word in a sentences can be very helpful, for example when it comes to learning how to use the word in a sentence, in which context the word can be used as well as to learn the true meaning of the word «put».

Put in a sentence

Here below you will find several sentences that illustrate how to use the word put in a sentence.


  1. He has put one over on us.


  2. Shops put up their shutters.


  3. As Asturias himself put it:.


  4. Artsimovich put it this way:.


  5. I mean, shall we put it down?


  6. I just put them down on paper.


  7. Baháʼu’lláh was put in prison.


  8. This put Bradley in a dilemma.


  9. He was then put to bed to dry.


  10. Victor Weisskopf put it thus:.


  11. Bowl quicker.’ That remark put me off Test cricket.


  12. We are going to put names on these unmarked graves.


  13. Most effectually he has put his critics to shame ..


  14. The two games put together form one complete story.


  15. Heavy German mortar fire put a stop to this effort.


  16. It was as if Goldfinger had been put together with bits of other people’s bodies.


  17. As Devoto later put it, «My life changed the moment that I saw the Sex Pistols.».


  18. Jews from Belfort and Foussemagne renovated the building and put a Jewish museum.


  19. Bradman made 128 and put on 231 with Hassett (139) as Australia replied with 389.


  20. Some put their objections bluntly; Quartermaster Hichens, commanding lifeboat No.


  21. However, the Germans had occupied a copse of trees and put up strong resistance, halting the advance.


  22. After the failure of the first colony, Raleigh recruited another group and put John White in command.


  23. It was reported in the media that Davis had put his wife’s overcoat over his shoulders while fleeing.


  24. The Governor and Adjutant General put out a call for volunteers to fill each regiment with 1,000 men.


  25. At the Paris Peace Conference in 1919, Wilson, Cecil and Smuts all put forward their draft proposals.


  26. Hensley wanted to put their children in an orphanage so Irene could travel with him, but she refused.


  27. About four years later he was put into the care of his youngest brother, Alphonse, Count of Poitiers.


  28. The result put Arsenal top of the league and left Bristol City in eleventh place out of twelve clubs.


  29. He will deliberately stop and put his ears forward to «pose» for cameras when he hears them clicking.


  30. A pattern emerged of whites purposely damaging black-owned cars to put their owners «in their place».


  31. Despite this, Thảo himself managed to escape, even as a US$30,000 bounty was put on him by the junta.


  32. The only way we would relinquish our shares is if somebody is going to put money into the football ..


  33. Hassett then put on 80 with Miller before being trapped leg before wicket (lbw) for 51 by Jack Young.


  34. Haldane stated that the individual should be put before a court martial and executed if found guilty.


  35. These laws threatened Laura, who was Jewish, and put many of Fermi’s research assistants out of work.


  36. WWE chairman Vince McMahon wanted to put Hardcore Holly in Sabu’s place, so Lashley would have more villains to overcome.


  37. Speaking of his former club, Bruce admitted that «Norwich put me on the map and I will always feel I owe them something».


  38. In January 1940 Carnell was asked to put together three issues, and Carnell and Passingham each put up £50 towards costs.


  39. With one out in the eighth, the Phillies put two runners on with a walk to Jimmy Rollins and a single by Shane Victorino.


  40. Gielgud invested £5,000, most of his earnings from the American Hamlet; Perry, who had family money, put in the same sum.


  41. Storey promised readers in the first edition that, if things went wrong, «the Echo would try its best to put them right».


  42. I think we’re being run by maniacs for maniacal ends and I think I’m liable to be put away as insane for expressing that.


  43. Ultimately, command of Soviet efforts to relieve Stalingrad was put under the leadership of General Aleksandr Vasilevsky.


  44. Seattle would rally during the middle of the season to put the Supporter’s Shield and the regional Cascadia Cup in reach.


  45. Some men put gloves on before they start to cut the tree, and from then on never touch the badnjak with their bare hands.


  46. On November 2, Gretzky, goaltender Eddie Mio and forward Peter Driscoll were put on a private plane, not knowing where they would land and what team they would be joining.


  47. Scobey, stating that his commission had put the coins on sale, with the gold selling for $3.50 with star and $3 without, and the silver for $1.50 with star and $1 without.


  48. They decided to liberate all slaves to secure their loyalty, to place all the children and their nurses in the gymnasium and to put all the women in the temple of Artemis.


  49. Emerald left Tortola on 26 October as escort to a convoy of 50 vessels for England but having parted from them in a storm, she put into Madeira in distress on 11 December.


  50. The final López expedition ended with his execution by the Spanish, who put several Americans before the firing squad, including the nephew of Attorney General Crittenden.

Synonyms for put

Another way to better understand how a word can be used is to examine what synonyms it has, and how these synonyms can be used. For example, the word put has the following synonyms: put option, arrange, set up, order, assign, put off, put down, put out, put to sleep, put under, put away, put through, put up, frame, redact, cast, couch, invest, commit, place, set, pose, position, lay, lay out, set down, set back, set out, put over, put back, put together, put on and put across.

General information about «put» example sentences

The example sentences for the word put that we present on this web site, stems from different official sources. For example one of our sources are articles on Wikipedia that are classified as at least Good articles. But we also use news articles, books and other generic texts to gather example sentences of how the word «put» can be used in a sentence. To the right of every sentence you will find a link out arrow that sends you to the source of the sentence, where you can access the full text and context for the presented example sentence. This can be useful because some words can sometimes be difficult to understand with only a sentence for context, whereas the full article or text can help you gain insight on how to use the word «put».

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This shows grade level based on the word’s complexity.


verb (used with object), put, put·ting.

to move or place (anything) so as to get it into or out of a specific location or position: I put the book on the shelf.

to bring into some relation, state, etc.: After the work, they put everything in order and cleaned up after themselves.

to place in the charge or power of a person, institution, etc.: The child welfare agency put her in foster care.

to subject to the endurance or suffering of something: During the Cold War, convicted spies were put to death.

to set to a duty, task, action, etc.: I put him to work setting the table.

to force or drive to some course or action: A handful of archers put the whole army to flight.

to render or translate, as into another language: He put the novel into French.

to provide (words) with music as accompaniment; set: Donovan put Lewis Carroll’s famous poem “Jabberwocky” to music.

to assign or attribute: You put a political interpretation on everything.

to set at a particular place, point, amount, etc., in a scale of estimation: I’d put the distance at five miles.

to bet or wager: They put two dollars on Saucy Lady, the gray mare.

to express or state: To put it mildly, I don’t understand.

to apply, as to a use or purpose: During your internship you’ll put your knowledge to practical use.

to set, give, or make: Let’s put an end to all this nonsense right now.

to propose or submit for answer, consideration, deliberation, etc.: I promised to put this question before the committee.

to impose, as a burden, charge, or the like: The government has put a tax on luxury articles.

to invest (often followed by in or into): They put all their money into real estate.

to lay the blame of (usually followed by on, to, etc.): He put my failure to lack of experience.

to throw or cast, especially with a forward motion of the hand when raised close to the shoulder: In track and field, I was able to put the shot 35 feet.

verb (used without object), put, put·ting.

to go, move, or proceed: to put to sea.

Informal. to begin to travel: When the rain stopped, we put for home and got there by noon.

to shoot out or grow, or send forth shoots or sprouts.

noun

a throw or cast, especially one made with a forward motion of the hand when raised close to the shoulder.

Also called put op·tion. Finance. an option that gives the right to sell a fixed amount of a particular stock at a predetermined price within a given time, purchased by a person who expects the stock to decline.Compare call (def. 52).

Verb Phrases

put about,

  1. Nautical. to change direction, as on a course.
  2. to start (a rumor); circulate.
  3. to inconvenience; trouble.
  4. to disturb; worry.
  5. to turn in a different direction.

put across,

  1. to cause to be understood or received favorably: She put across her new idea. He puts himself across well.
  2. to do successfully; accomplish: to put a project across.
  3. to be successful in (a form of deception): It was obviously a lie, but he put it across.

put aside / by

  1. to store up; save: He put aside some dried fruit, water, and energy bars in anticipation of the predicted heavy snowfall.I have some money put by for a rainy day.
  2. Also set aside. to put out of the way; place to one side: Put aside your books and come for a walk.

put away,

  1. to put in the designated place for storage: Put away the groceries as soon as you get home.
  2. to save, especially for later use: to put away a few dollars each week.
  3. to discard: Put away those childish notions.
  4. to drink or eat, especially in a large quantity; finish off: to put away a hearty meal after jogging.
  5. to confine in a jail or a mental institution: He was put away for four years.
  6. to put (an animal) to death by humane means: The dog was so badly injured that the veterinarian had to put it away.

put down,

  1. to write down; register; record: I used to put down my thoughts in a personal journal, but now I publish them on my blog.
  2. to enter in a list, as of subscribers or contributors: Put me down for a $10 donation.
  3. to suppress; check; squelch: to put down a rebellion.
  4. to attribute; ascribe: We put your mistakes down to nervousness.
  5. to regard or categorize: He was put down as a chronic complainer.
  6. to produce or execute (something) successfully; throw down: He was the only skater to put down a clean short program.
  7. Informal. to criticize, especially in a contemptuous manner; disrespect: The team leader put down support staff and ignored their contributions.
  8. Informal. to belittle, humiliate, or embarrass: Misogynists put down women to keep them subservient.
  9. to pay as a deposit: The more money you put down, the less you’ll pay in interest.
  10. to store for future use: to put down a case of wine.
  11. to dig or sink, as a well.
  12. to put (an animal) to death by humane means; put to sleep: The horse had to be put down after suffering a catastrophic racing injury on the track.
  13. to land an aircraft or in an aircraft: We put down at Orly after six hours.

put forth,

  1. to bring out; bear; grow: The trees are putting forth new green shoots.
  2. to propose; present: No one has put forth a workable solution.
  3. to bring to public notice; publish: A new interpretation of the doctrine has been put forth.
  4. to exert; exercise: We will have to put forth our best efforts to win.
  5. to set out; depart: Dark clouds threatened as we put forth from the shore.

put forward,

  1. to propose; suggest: I hesitated to put forward my plan.
  2. to present or promote (oneself or another) for a task, role, etc., or as having certain qualities or qualifications: We should put her forward for treasurer. He puts himself forward as an expert in combating antisemitism.

put in,

  1. Also put into. Nautical. to enter a port or harbor, especially for shelter, repairs, or provisions: Viking fleets often put in at Norman ports for provisions.
  2. to interpose; intervene.
  3. to spend (time) as indicated: She put in two hours at the piano almost every day for years.

put in for, to apply for or request (something): I put in for a transfer to another department.

put off,

  1. to postpone; defer: I put off my yearly visit to the eye doctor for a month.
  2. to confuse or perturb; disconcert; repel: We were put off by the book’s abusive tone.
  3. to get rid of by delay or evasion: She put him off, claiming to already have plans for the evening.
  4. to lay aside; take off: She put off her shoes with a sigh of relief.
  5. to start out, as on a voyage: We packed a picnic lunch and put off for the little island in the middle of the lake.
  6. to launch (a boat) from shore or from another vessel: They began to put off the lifeboats as the fire spread.

put on,

  1. to clothe oneself with (an article of clothing).
  2. to assume insincerely or falsely; pretend: She put on a smile and choked out a welcome.
  3. to assume; adopt.
  4. to inflict; impose.
  5. to cause to be performed; produce; stage: The troupe put on a play by an little-known writer.
  6. Informal. to tease (a person), especially by pretending the truth of something that is untrue: You can’t be serious—you’re putting me on, aren’t you?
  7. to act in a pretentious or ostentatious manner; exaggerate: All that putting on didn’t impress anyone.

put out,

  1. to extinguish, as a fire.
  2. to confuse; embarrass.
  3. to be vexed or annoyed: He was put out when I missed our appointment.
  4. to subject to inconvenience.
  5. Baseball, Softball, Cricket. to cause to be removed from an opportunity to reach base or score; retire.
  6. to publish: She puts out a new mystery every other year.
  7. to go out to sea: The fishermen put out well before sunrise.
  8. to manufacture; prepare; produce: The factory puts out thousands of candy bars an hour.
  9. to exert; apply: They were putting out their best efforts.
  10. Slang: Offensive. (usually of a woman) to demonstrate willingness or offer to engage in sexual intercourse: I’m not the kind of gal who puts out on the first date.

put over,

  1. to succeed in; accomplish: It will take an exceptional administrator to put over this reorganization.
  2. to postpone; defer: Discussion of this point will be put over until new evidence is introduced.

put through,

  1. to complete successfully; execute: He was not able to put through his project.
  2. to bring about; effect: The proposed revisions have not as yet been put through.
  3. to make a telephone connection for: Put me through to Los Angeles.
  4. to make (a telephone connection): Put a call through to Hong Kong.
  5. to cause to undergo or endure: She’s been put through a lot the past year.

put up,

  1. to construct; erect: The town is putting up a new civic center where the old library used to be.
  2. to can (vegetables, fruits, etc.); preserve (jam, jelly, etc.): At the end of every summer they put up jars and jars of tomatoes from their garden.
  3. to set or arrange (the hair).
  4. to provide (money); contribute: A number of people put up $5,000 apiece, getting the fund-raiser off to a very good start.
  5. to accommodate; lodge: Friends offered to put me up for the weekend, and I took them to a fancy restaurant as a thank-you.
  6. to display; show.
  7. to stake (money) to support a wager: He put up fifty bucks to get into the football pool.
  8. to propose as a candidate; nominate: Someone is going to put him up for president.
  9. to offer, especially for public sale: She put up several valuable pieces of art to raise money for the charity.
  10. Archaic. to sheathe one’s sword; stop fighting.

put upon, to take unfair advantage of; impose upon: Some of the employees felt put upon when they were asked to work late.

put up to, to provoke; prompt; incite: Someone put him up to calling us.

put up with, to endure; tolerate; bear: I couldn’t put up with the noise any longer.

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Idioms about put

    put it to, Slang.

    1. to overburden with work, blame, etc.: They really put it to him in officer-training school.
    2. to take advantage of; cheat: That used car dealer put it to me good.

    put oneself out, to take pains; go to trouble or expense: She has certainly put herself out to see that everyone is comfortable.

    put something over on, to take advantage of; deceive: He suspected that his friend had put something over on him, but he had no proof.

    put to it, to be confronted with a problem; have difficulty: We were put to it to find the missing notebook.

    stay put, Informal. to remain in the same position; refuse to move: The baby wouldn’t stay put, and kept trying to climb out of the playpen.

Origin of put

First recorded before 1000; Middle English put(t)en “to push, thrust, put,” Old English putian (attested only in verbal noun putung “an impelling, inciting”); akin to pytan, potian “to push, goad,” cognate with Old Norse pota “to thrust, poke”

synonym study for put

1. Put, place, lay, set mean to bring or take an object (or cause it to go) to a certain location or position, there to leave it. Put is the general word: to put the dishes on the table; to put one’s hair up. Place is a more formal word, suggesting precision of movement or definiteness of location: He placed his hand on the Bible. Lay, meaning originally to cause to lie, and set, meaning originally to cause to sit, are used particularly to stress the position in which an object is put: lay usually suggests putting an object rather carefully into a horizontal position: to lay a pattern out on the floor. Set usually means to place upright: to set a child on a horse.

OTHER WORDS FROM put

well-put, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH put

put , putt

Words nearby put

pustular, pustulate, pustulation, pustule, pustulous, put, put about, put a bug in someone’s ear, put across, put a damper on, put all one’s eggs in one basket

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Words related to put

bring, establish, focus, insert, install, invest, lay, place, set, settle, stick, give, offer, present, submit, suggest, turn, force, impose, make

How to use put in a sentence

  • To put it rather uncharitably, the USPHS practiced a major dental experiment on a city full of unconsenting subjects.

  • Kennedy: «Mankind must put an end to war — or war will put an end to mankind.»

  • Obsessive exercising and inadequate nutrition can, over time, put people at high risk for overuse injuries like stress fractures.

  • When I put their allegations to Epstein, he denied them and went into overdrive.

  • We did ThunderAnt stuff for ourselves and just put it online, and then it blossomed into something else.

  • He was voluble in his declarations that they would “put the screws” to Ollie on the charge of perjury.

  • Each day she resolved, «To-morrow I will tell Felipe;» and when to-morrow came, she put it off again.

  • This is the place where the Muscovite criminals are banished to, if they are not put to death.

  • Let them open their minds to us, let them put upon permanent record the significance of all their intrigues and manœuvres.

  • Before the spinet a bench was placed about four feet below the keys, and I was put upon the bench.

British Dictionary definitions for put


verb puts, putting or put (mainly tr)

to cause to be (in a position or place)to put a book on the table

to cause to be (in a state, relation, etc)to put one’s things in order

(foll by to) to cause (a person) to experience the endurance or suffering (of)to put to death; to put to the sword

to set or commit (to an action, task, or duty), esp by forcehe put him to work

to render, transform, or translateto put into English

to set (words) in a musical form (esp in the phrase put to music)

(foll by at) to estimatehe put the distance at fifty miles

(foll by to) to utilize (for the purpose of)he put his knowledge to good use

(foll by to) to couple a female animal (with a male) for the purpose of breedingthe farmer put his heifer to the bull

to state; expressto put it bluntly

to set or make (an end or limit)he put an end to the proceedings

to present for consideration in anticipation of an answer or vote; proposehe put the question to the committee; I put it to you that one day you will all die

to invest (money) in; give (support) tohe put five thousand pounds into the project

to impartto put zest into a party

to throw or cast

not know where to put oneself to feel awkward or embarrassed

put paid to to destroy irrevocably and utterlythe manager’s disfavour put paid to their hopes for promotion

stay put to refuse to leave; keep one’s position

noun

a throw or cast, esp in putting the shot

Also called: put option stock exchange an option to sell a stated amount of securities at a specified price during a specified limited periodCompare call (def. 58)

See also put about, put across, put aside, put away, put back, put by, put down, put forth, put forward, put in, put off, put on, put on to, put out, put over, put through, put up, put upon

Word Origin for put

C12 puten to push; related to Old English potian to push, Norwegian, Icelandic pota to poke

Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with put


In addition to the idioms beginning with put

  • put a bug in someone’s ear
  • put across
  • put a damper on
  • put all one’s eggs in one basket
  • put an end to
  • put an idea in one’s head
  • put a premium on
  • put aside
  • put a spin on
  • put at ease
  • put at someone’s disposal
  • put away
  • put back the clock
  • put behind one
  • put by
  • put down
  • put down roots
  • put forth
  • put forward
  • put hair on one’s chest
  • put heads together
  • put ideas into someone’s head
  • put in
  • put in a good word
  • put in an appearance
  • put in mind of
  • put in mothballs
  • put in one’s place
  • put in one’s two cents
  • put in order
  • put in the way of
  • put into effect
  • put into practice
  • put into words
  • put it mildly
  • put it to
  • put lead in one’s pencil
  • put money on
  • put off
  • put on
  • put on a brave face
  • put on a brave front
  • put on airs
  • put on an act
  • put on a pedestal
  • put one in mind of
  • put one into the picture
  • put one off
  • put one off one’s stride
  • put one out
  • put one’s back into it
  • put one’s back up
  • put one’s best foot forward
  • put one’s cards on the table
  • put oneself in someone’s place
  • put oneself out
  • put one’s face on
  • put one’s feet up
  • put one’s finger on
  • put one’s foot down
  • put one’s foot in it
  • put one’s hand to
  • put one’s head on the block
  • put one’s house in order
  • put one’s mind to
  • put one’s money where one’s mouth is
  • put one’s nose out of joint
  • put one’s oar in
  • put one’s shoulder to the wheel
  • put on hold
  • put on ice
  • put on one’s thinking cap
  • put on the dog
  • put on the feed bag
  • put on the map
  • put on the spot
  • put on weight
  • put our heads together
  • put out
  • put out feelers
  • put out of business
  • put out of one’s mind
  • put out to grass
  • put over
  • put paid to
  • put right
  • put someone away
  • put someone down
  • put someone in his or her place
  • put someone on
  • put someone out of his or her misery
  • put someone right
  • put someone through his or her paces
  • put someone up
  • put someone up to
  • put someone wise
  • put that in your pipe and smoke it
  • put the arm on
  • put the blame on
  • put the cart before the horse
  • put the fear of God into
  • put the finger on
  • put the heat on
  • put their heads together
  • put the kibosh on
  • put the lid on
  • put the make on
  • put the screws on
  • put the skids on
  • put the skids under
  • put through
  • put through the wringer
  • put to bed
  • put to death
  • put to flight
  • put together
  • put to good use
  • put to it, be
  • put to rights
  • put to sea
  • put to shame
  • put to sleep
  • put to the test
  • put two and two together
  • put up
  • put upon, be
  • put up or shut up
  • put up with
  • put wise
  • put words in someone’s mouth

also see:

  • (put) at ease
  • (put on a) brave face
  • cart before the horse, put
  • clamp down (put the clamps on)
  • flesh out (put flesh and bone on)
  • for (put in one’s) two cents
  • (put on a) hair shirt
  • hard put
  • (put) in effect
  • (put) in the picture
  • lay (put) one’s cards on the table
  • lay (put) one’s hands on
  • lay (put) the blame on
  • (put someone’s) nose out of joint
  • not put something past someone
  • (put) off the track
  • (put) on a pedestal
  • (put) out of business
  • pull (put over) a fast one
  • put one’s head on the block
  • throw (put) off the scent

Also see underset.

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

By Robby

If you are new here please read this first.

Using the English Verb 'to PUT'

Improve Spoken English

When I was a kid and only started to familiarize myself with the basics of the English language, one of the first English words I learnt must have been the verb ‘to put’.

Why I think so?

Well, I remember translating the name of one of the Tom & Jerry cartoons called “Puttin’ On The Dog” in my notebook, and it would have been one of my first encounters with the English language.

Shortly after, I was introduced to Ogden’s “Basic English” and the verb ‘to put’ was one of the 850 English words you would have to learn to become a competent English user.

Ogden’s key principle was simplicity and he claimed that it is possible to paraphrase any English sentence using only 850 Basic English vocabulary words.

I’ll admit that on many occasions important connotations are lost by reducing concepts to the Basic English vocabulary, there is no doubt about it. Let’s say for example, “He was shot in the head” would become “They used a gun to put a small metal thing in his head”. See what I’m talking about? Still, it’s a great example of how ANYTHING can be explained using very simple words so lack of vocabulary is really no excuse for not being able to explain something in English, my friends foreigners!

How does this all tie in with the headline of this article?

You see, the thing is that English verbs such as ‘to PUT’ and similar play an important role in helping struggling foreign English speakers to ride over bumps in their fluency ❗

When you struggle to express your opinion in English using vocabulary you would normally use, it’s very easy to paraphrase more complex verbs by using ‘to PUT’ combined with the appropriate noun.

Can’t think of the verb ‘to return’? Use ‘to put back’ instead!

Got stuck in the middle of a sentence because you just can’t describe the concept of forgetting painful experiences and moving on? (different phrases – “get over it”, “just forget about it” – are floating in your mind but you can’t seem to use the right one in that split second?) Use “put it behind you” instead!

And, considering that you are by no means limited to Ogden’s 850 words, it’s not hard to imagine that your speech is not going to sound too simplistic because of it!

You can say things like – “Put a bullet in his head” – which is a totally valid English expression without the risk of sounding as if your English vocabulary consists of only 850 words.

Using ‘to PUT’ to Replace More Complex Verbs Indicating Movement

So, the English verb ‘to PUT’ comes in very handy when you have to rephrase a more complex concept while in a middle of a conversation. And bear in mind that now I’m not talking about phrasal verbs whose meanings can’t be guessed: “To put up with”, “to put off” and similar.

Here I’m talking about using the verb ‘to PUT’ as a means of describing real, physical movement in a very simple way.

“Just put the box under the desk!” instead of “…shove the box under the desk!

Put your coat on the hanger!” instead of “Leave your coat on the hanger!”

“Can we put the chairs in the hall for the time being?” instead of “… move the chairs to the hall…?”

As you imagine, nearly every verb that describes a movement from a point A to point B can be replaced by the verb ‘to PUT’ 😉

Using ‘to PUT’ to Replace Verbs Describing Abstract Movement

You can also use the verb ‘to PUT’ to describe abstract concepts when you’re struggling to put your thoughts into words.

Actually I just did it in the previous sentence, did you notice that? Instead of saying “to verbalize your thoughts” I said “to put your thoughts into words”.

So if you use the verb ‘to PUT’ to describe such and similar actions in situations when you can’t think of the right English word to say, on 9 times out of 10 you won’t sound incorrect!

“I don’t know how to put my problems to others instead of “…how to communicate my problems to others”. (The most appropriate way of saying this would be “put my problems across to others” but you’ll be understood anyway!)

“My manager put me to packing orders today” instead “…assigned me to pack orders today”.

“Can you put my needs above yours at least this time?” instead of “Can you give priority to my needs over yours at least this time?”

Please note the last example – “put my needs above yours”. It clearly depicts that the verb ‘to PUT’ allows you to manipulate with abstract concepts as if they were physical objects; basically you have to imagine you’re literally putting your needs on top of others and then it becomes so much easier to verbalize those concepts.

IMPORTANT!

You can only use the verb ‘to PUT’ to describe actions where there’s some sort of a movement involved (words come out of your mouth and move toward your conversation partner; your boss ordered you to walk to the packing line; your needs move up the importance scale etc.).

You have to use other verbs – ‘to make’, ‘to get’, ‘to become’ – when replacing verbs describing a structural change of the discussed subject (needs are getting bigger, something is becoming more important, to make someone sad).

Basically you can use the verb ‘to PUT’ IF you can speak of the abstract objects as if you’re moving them as physical objects.

Can you ‘move’ a need and ‘place’ it above someone else’s need? Yes! So – you can use the verb ‘to PUT’.

When someone becomes sad because of you, are you ‘moving’ anything? No! You just MAKE them sad, hence the word ‘to make’.

I hope you get the drift 😉

Phrasal Verbs Containing the Verb ‘to PUT’

The main point I’ve been making thus far in this article is the following:

When you’re struggling to describe an action of an actual or abstract movement during a conversation, the verb ‘to PUT’ is your safest bet and you can use it to describe quite complex concepts in an easy way ❗

There are, however, LOADS of ready-to-go word combinations consisting of the verb ‘to PUT’ used by native English speakers – I’m talking about phrasal verbs here. Many of them are quite straightforward (‘to put back’ obviously means to put something back), many just need to be learned (‘to put off’ means to leave a job or a task for later) so that you can use them as part of your English conversations adequately.

Here are some of them!

Put forward – to make a suggestion. “During the meeting a lot of ideas were put forward by a number of regional managers but they were all rubbished by the chief executive.”

Put out – to extinguish a fire, to extinguish a cigarette. “If you can’t put out a fire within 30 seconds, you have to evacuate the building.” “Put out the cigarette and go back to work, your boss is roaming around the building and he might catch you here any minute!”

Put somebody down – to disapprove of someone’s performance, or behavior. “My team leader always puts me down so now I’m not even trying to exceed out targets!”

Put together – to build something. See how simplistic this phrasal verb is? Just think about it – when you build something, you actually do PUT STUFF TOGETHER, right? “I’ve never put together any flat-pack furniture, but I’ll give this simple PC desk a go!”

Put up with – to be OK with something that irritates or annoys you. “Listen, I can’t put up with Mark’s constant whistling, I’m going to tell him to stop doing it!”

Put through – used when someone makes another person to go through difficulties. “My husband has put me through a lot during the ten years of our marriage, so now I’m going to get a divorce and get on with my own life!”

Put through – another meaning of the same phrasal verb – ‘to connect with another person during a phone call’. “Hi, I’m calling in connection with my latest electric bill; can you put me through to the billing department, please?”

Idiomatic Expressions With the Verb ‘to PUT’

Usage of the universal verb ‘to PUT’ hasn’t been exhausted yet, my dear friend foreigner!

There’s a handful of unique idiomatic expressions I want you to look at containing the word ‘PUT’. You just have to learn their respective meanings and you’ll be able to put them to good use for sure! (He-he, did you notice I just used one of them?)

Put to good use – use this phrase to describe when something is used well and at its full potential. “Make sure you put your survival skills to good use when you go for your backpacking trip!” Once again take a note of how simply the abstract concept is described in this phrase – instead of using more complex verbs such as ‘implement’ or ‘utilize’ you can just say ‘put to good use’. Brilliant, isn’t it?

Put my finger on it – when you can’t really tell what is wrong or what has changed, but you have a feeling that something isn’t right, you can say: “There’s something different about Jack today, but I still can’t put my finger on what exactly it is!” This idiom comes from a real world when you can actually put your finger on something you can spot, so people started using it figuratively (when speaking about abstract concepts).

Put too much thought into it – have you ever done a lot of thinking about something only to realize it wasn’t worth your time and effort? It’s exactly the type of a situation when you can use this expression. “Don’t put too much thought into planning the project before you’ve been even granted the permission to go ahead with it!”

Put my mind at ease – means that something calmed me down. “I don’t need all this stress so tonight I’ll just relax, watch a film and put my mind at ease.”

Stay put – stay where you are for the time being; don’t move. “Stay put till I tell you to start walking, I’ll think of something to distract the dog!”

Put a stop to – simply means to stop! This expression is actually longer than its meaning, but it can be very well used to emphasize that something REALLY needs to be stopped. “Listen, this bullying has been going on for way too long – we need to put a stop to it!”

How to put it… – this is one of those hesitation phrases that will help you to buy a little bit of time before you start formulating your answer. “Well… how to put it… You see, it’s more complicated than you think it is!”

Nicely put! – simply means ‘nicely said’. The verb ‘to PUT’ in this context means ‘to say’ as in – “you can put it in your own words.”

Put something behind you – forget about something, usually bad experiences. “I know the loss of your spouse still hurts even after all these years, but I think now it’s time to put it all behind you and move on with your life!”

Robby

P.S. Would you like to find out why I’m highlighting some of the text in red? Read this article and you’ll learn why it’s so important to learn idiomatic expressions and how it will help you to improve your spoken English!

P.S.S. Are you serious about your spoken English improvement? Check out my English Harmony System HERE!

English Harmony System

P.S. Are you serious about your spoken English improvement? Check out the English Harmony System HERE!

English Harmony System

1.
So put it into action, believe it’s possible, and be consistent


2.
Put it into the success equation


3.
«Nor fjords to put it in, come to think of that


4.
She had not put any clothing on of course


5.
The tool we created that will help you put the smack down on your goals is GoalTrax


6.
“If he put more points in constitution, he wouldn’t have choked to death on the smoke


7.
When do you read your affirmations? Couldn’t you print out a list of your affirmations, tape them on your microwave or even put them in a nice


8.
«It was a stupid place to put it, I know,» Herndon said


9.
Gal: 3:9: So that, all who put their faith in Christ are blessed with faithful Abraham


10.
there was definitely something else strange but I couldn’t quite put my finger on it

11.
Schulz put his hands into his pockets


12.
you can put things in place


13.
She was the largest vessel to put into Sinbara this decade


14.
She had put the money into the business account to enhance the publicity campaign and was quietly content about her unreasonable artwork profits for the year


15.
«Oh she let me know she was worth aluminum, I knew she could put up that camp with her left hand, she talked about putting up a whole plank villa


16.
and they continue to not live up to those expectations, how long are you going to put up with those inconsistencies in your life? How long are you going to put up with broken expectations from someone else in your life?


17.
could not put measures on God’s forgiveness


18.
consistently put it towards what you want to achieve, then in one year what would that add up to? You will be blown away


19.
It’s best to give them a printed list that they can put in our file


20.
That building put up four apartment trees from there, with the courtyard between them over the business space below

21.
If the car that you are driving doesn’t have the energy it needs to get to where you want to go because you didn’t put the gas in the car, you are not going to get there, so choose to have energy


22.
In just a couple of minutes, you will turn to the pages where you can put all of this new knowledge into action


23.
He became a zombie and the guards put him down quickly


24.
God put all that we need to


25.
Do you put ads in the paper?”


26.
Put the castor oil into this container and spray the entire area that has the gophers


27.
The doctors had put a tube in her nose and he could hear her breathing from any room in the house


28.
But a person with Alzheimer’s will put things in inappropriate places—an iron in the refrigerator, a wristwatch in a sugar bowl—and will not be able to retrieve them


29.
you are involved in, God put you there for a purpose


30.
“Yes, here is the sales report,” Henry tried to say with an air of authority as he put the slightly crumpled papers in Mr

31.
Less nutrition increases stress! To put it in an easier way to understand; Energy can be of either a low or high energy


32.
«The first quarter inch, I put the rest of it away


33.
Then God will put that attitude into a test by


34.
Whether it was water on the kitchen floor, crayon scribbles on the walls, the dog put on the roof, or dead rats stinking up the pantry, Millie always had the same excuse: mermaids


35.
Using his exceptional brilliance, which unfortunately everyone had to admit he had or they would hear about it for days, Ackers tended to put on an air of entitlement


36.
«Millie, what’s that banging noise? Put your grandpa on the phone


37.
I wouldn’t put it past Venna to completely deny that she has ever laid eyes on me before even though she was the most tempestuous four Earth years my bed has ever experienced


38.
 Practice means to live out, to implement, and to put into effect, to exercise, to put into action, and


39.
You need to put into practice what


40.
because they fail to put into effect what they learn or

41.
“After you two bungled acquiring the Super Chip, I put my superior intellect into action trying to pinpoint its new location


42.
Brandon was a little put off by this, but he guessed small town charm wasn’t universal


43.
«I know where I put those papers,» Ava said,


44.
He pulled out a thin glove from his pocket and put it on his hand, pressing the glove against the door and listening


45.
As her eye followed it she saw there had been many improvements there also, stones put in for steps in the steepest parts


46.
The policemen put me in the back seat of their car – an unmarked police car, thank goodness – and we drive off


47.
The timer had run out and he hadn’t put his initials on the screen


48.
He was trying to project an aura of mild disappointment, like he was strong enough to take this, but Ava could see each piece of paper shaking as he put it back in its folder


49.
«I wouldn’t put it past her that she knows it’s of some value


50.
She spiced it more green and decided to put it over vedn toasts, so she mixed up some batter for that and started the griddle heating

51.
I didn’t need it … it had no family links for me by then so I told Henry put it in with the other props which get dragged out regularly


52.
And just to show off, Marley put all these posters of Louis Armstrong and Neil Armstrong and even Lance Armstrong up there just to fill up space on the cherry picker


53.
And because he wasn’t trying to be sexist or nothin’, he put up a poster of Rosie the Riveter because she had strong arms


54.
‘And when she, as you put it, came on the scene, it broke up your relationship


55.
First a person should put his house together, then his town, then the world


56.
The youngsters in particular, who are more enlightened these days and have not been subject to foreign rule like many of us, there is a lot of resentment to rules and regulations that are practiced simply to put spokes in the development initiatives


57.
Johnny and Nancy kept running, trying to put more distance between themselves and the United Order, doing everything they could to keep the Chip safe


58.
The main caution is to be careful where you put it so that it is not ingested by anything other then the roaches


59.
Since she was still wide awake, she put on three bags of fuel and got the boiler going


60.
Once we stop comparing ourselves with others and define our identity based on our own terms, we remove the constraint we have put on our mind

61.
‘Nothing, just put up with it


62.
‘Inspector, you think someone was trying to frame her?’ Stephen put in, his face set and his jaw rigid


63.
It has been a long day … the Inspector put me through a pretty intensive interrogation … wanting to know everything about Joanna and Dan


64.
God took mice from the Garden and put them in Adam’s arms so he would feel strong enough to protect his mate


65.
She moved as close to him as the beasts would get and put her hand out to him


66.
She put some small twigs on and soon had a few inches of flame springing up


67.
‘Yes, Stephen, she could pinpoint it pretty well because Henry had put his back out and couldn’t go to fetch the stuff himself once they had finished with it


68.
He would have to risk his life and put himself between them and the Chip, using every gadget and skill at his disposal to save the precious artifact


69.
Pity her job took her away, though I think that she might have been willing to tell them where they could put their job if Stephen had suggested that they get married


70.
And God is going to say, “Do you really think I put you there on earth to live a selfish little clod of a life?”

71.
» and he closed the phone and put it away


72.
Ah, that’s where I put the other bottle … I reach for the full wine bottle I have just spotted


73.
Please put a geosynchronous above the point where they used to be, it’s vitally important


74.
If you feel that some of this rings true for you, why not try the following to put the zest back into your relationship


75.
· Have grab bars put in next to your toilet and in the tub or shower


76.
· Have handrails and lights put in on all staircases


77.
«Flopkins here has to put his magic teeth back into your anvil wound


78.
The detective had maybe gotten the note wet up put some powder on it


79.
Don’t put words in my mouth


80.
Clarisse kneels in front of John trying to put her arms around him

81.
‘Come on in, I’ll put the kettle on


82.
’ I said, feeling a total idiot … put baldly like that it sounds ridiculous


83.
’ I put in


84.
’ She invited once I have put my mobile back in my bag again


85.
put everything here on the hood of


86.
If he did this again he’d have to put BigThree in the middle to get enough side-thrust to pass on any help from BobbingTwo


87.
Before reaching for that bag of nitrates or other chemical fertilizers, the conscious homeowner or farmer should stop for a moment to consider what needs to be put back in the soil to enhance its life-giving properties


88.
Someone has sensibly put a load of tables and chairs out in the sunshine; they are doing a good trade


89.
«That’s fine, you said laboratory equipment was the main thing they put in ceramic shells


90.
Do not put more stress to your already stressed out body

91.
You said it was put into storage by the Brazilian who died


92.
He paused to say thank you to the waiter who put a new glass down on the


93.
She put her half full glass on the


94.
I find myself staring at the phone once I have put it down … what the hell is Dan playing at? Standing staring at my house for hours on end every evening? Is that legal? Thinking about it, I suppose there isn’t a law against it if he is standing on his property … would it count as stalking?


95.
finished and I’ll put the box back


96.
‘A coat of paint would put that right, Stephen


97.
doostEr put the second bale on his side and popped it open, he tore into it


98.
‘You could even put it to her that she’s doing you a favour by occupying the rooms


99.
She put her old car in gear and ground away at a snail’s pace into the blackness of the night


100.
Put even a small bed into their room and you’d not be able to walk across the room … no, that’s not workable

1.
I lean to pick it up, but Dad puts a hand on my shoulder


2.
” Micah tosses the crowbar to the ground and puts his hands on the wall


3.
Schulz nods as he puts on fresh gloves


4.
He produces a tape machine and puts it on the table in front of me


5.
She puts me in a headlock and drags me upstairs


6.
· It is said that a wise woman puts a grain of sugar in everything she says to a man but takes everything he says with a pinch of salt


7.
Zitteraal stops in front of a door, puts his hand on the door handle


8.
John puts the car in park, jumps out of the car for a better view, but when he gets out, he sees no one in the window


9.
She puts her hand on his cheek, gently turns his face back to her


10.
John puts a bag in the overhead, settles into a window seat, puts his laptop on his knees

11.
He puts the phone slowly to his ear


12.
He ends the call, puts the phone away


13.
GEORGE BUSH puts his hand on John’s shoulder


14.
He walks over, puts his arm around John


15.
She takes his hand, puts it against her breast


16.
She puts the bag on his bed


17.
Puts it on John’s nightstand


18.
He puts his arm around John’s shoulder


19.
Clarisse puts on her pantyhose in the bedroom in which John and Dave are standing


20.
She turns and smiles at him, comes over and kisses him, puts her arms around him

21.
John reaches over, puts his hand on Dave’s shoulder


22.
He cuts the rest of the raw meat of the fish into thin strips, hands a piece to John, puts some in his mouth


23.
He puts his hand on John’s shoulder


24.
That puts a depressing lid on my spirits which even the sunshine cannot lift


25.
never happen unless someone assumes the authority and puts everything


26.
Russ puts his hand on John’s shoulder


27.
He puts his hand on his bare chest in imitation of a Napoleonic stance


28.
There’s a knock on the door and he gets up, puts his ring back on


29.
am sharing the message of healing the Holy Spirit takes it up and puts into


30.
She stops directly in front of him again, puts her hands on his chest, pats him softly

31.
John snatches up the weapon, puts the soldier in a headlock simultaneously and points the gun at his head


32.
Bolt rattles his head in assent, grins, takes the hose emanating from the hooka, closes his eyes, puts the mouthpiece between his lips and takes a huge drag


33.
Russ smiles, yanks Khalid around so that his back is to him, puts one of the parachutes on him, yanks him around to face him, begins to strap it into place


34.
John looks over his shoulder in the direction of the firing, takes off his wedding ring slowly, studies it sadly for a moment, digs out a small hole in the ground with his hand, buries it, puts a rock on top


35.
He motions to one of the soldiers, who comes over, puts Khalid in a head lock


36.
The interrogator puts his foot on Khalid’s broken ankle, his attention fixed on John


37.
He takes out his pistol slowly, puts the barrel against Khalid’s temple, pushes the hair out of Khalid’s eyes


38.
Ahmed groans, puts his head down on the table


39.
A guard steps up, puts a hood over Ricci’s head, leads him to the waiting executioner


40.
Omar puts his arm around AHMED

41.
Teekra stands, puts her hand on her belly


42.
She’s pregnant! John comes over, gives her a hug, then puts his ear against her belly to listen to the baby


43.
’ I told her as she puts it round my neck and, brushing my hair out of the way, fiddles with the catch


44.
Unless you’ve been there, you can’t understand the knot this kind of waiting puts in your gut


45.
He is lying next to me in bed now, he is restless, he shouts, he puts his legs on my chest, he molests me


46.
Next moment, he puts his finger in the dog’s vagina and the animal writhes accordingly for a few seconds, while Alexander is looking at us with a mockingly


47.
I carry all the dirty dishes out into the kitchen while Nick puts the chairs back where they belong


48.
’ He replied, then taking a deep breath, puts his arms round me and just holds me


49.
Stepping into the hall and closing the door behind him, he reaches out and puts his arms around me without saying a word


50.
He comes over and puts his hands on my shoulders soothingly

51.
He puts up with it without complaint … maybe he understands … I don’t know


52.
Our view of eternity and what comes after our life actually affects and puts in motion how we will live and what will govern our lives now in the present


53.
A boat puts to sea on


54.
’ She said, twisting her mouth as though chewing on her thoughts as she puts her tawstones away again


55.
Of the two, the younger face kneels and puts a hand out,


56.
while on Michaelmas Day, upon the blackberry Old Nick puts his feet


57.
SAMANTHA takes the wooden chair and puts it by the door


58.
He puts his arms around her


59.
«Ah, Daniel is at it again, the man is a dynamo!» Steve blurted out, «I don’t know where he gets all that energy from; but he sure puts it to good use!» They all laughed, and quickly stopped when Kate and Daniel walked into the Hall together, smiling


60.
(opens a brief case and takes out a folder, puts on his reading glasses

61.
and puts me in the way of the moth,


62.
TONY-LEE puts his hands into his pockets


63.
Standing quickly, he puts his good arm around me and holds me as tightly as he can


64.
puts his hands over his earth filed ears,


65.
puts on her new head and smiles


66.
He puts his tunic back on and sits watching me contentedly


67.
Jimmy, of course, puts it all down to a combination of hard work and inspiration


68.
One of the fishermen comes to the table, excuses the mess, and puts down a glass of water, ‘For you


69.
I watch as he strips his tunic off and puts his boots on


70.
With a smile of satisfaction, he puts the pot of water to boil

71.
«Do you really think anything real survives the math he puts that data thru?» she asked


72.
She puts her hand on mine;


73.
As the door closes behind them, Alastair reaches across and puts his hand over mine


74.
‘We’ll need to get moving soon, don’t you think?’ I said as he puts the last box into the boot and shuts the lid


75.
By way of answer, he puts his arms around me and whispers into my neck, ‘Yes, I do


76.
As he puts down the phone, Simon is almost luminous with pride


77.
Reluctantly, he shuts the curtains then comes over to me and puts his arms around me


78.
’ He chuckles at that, and puts an arm round me, giving my shoulders a squeeze


79.
Simon puts the phone down and turns to me, ‘You know, Anna, I thought you would have brought up your son to respect his elders and betters!’


80.
Jake eventually puts in an appearance in the kitchen and Karen suggests that Katie might like to come over to her house next weekend

81.
‘Gary …’ I protested, winding up to giving him a clear idea of how I feel about it; he puts his hand over mine


82.
“I cannot thank you enough Healer Murdock, you have ended a lifelong search with news that puts peace in my heart


83.
I reach out and stroke his face, complete with a day’s growth of stubble, and he puts an arm round me, pulling me towards him


84.
He can hardly take his eyes off it and automatically puts it on the third finger of his left hand, just where I’d intended it should go


85.
His kiss puts that fear to rest


86.
He carefully puts Anna in the front and then opens the back door for me, quietly thanking me for being with Anna last night


87.
Solving of Problems Be a person who puts out the fire rather than the


88.
’ He puts his hand over the receiver


89.
rope cattle, which puts a lot of strain on the horse’s


90.
‘ I replied as he puts the book down and comes over to the door where I am standing

91.
He puts his arms round me and kisses me lightly on the forehead


92.
No man puts a piece of new cloth unto an old garment, for that which is put in to fill it


93.
’ He asked, glancing over to where I am standing while he gets out cups and saucers and puts them on a tray


94.
He smiles at me and puts some more toast in the toaster


95.
As we reach the bottom of the stairs, a woman puts her head over the banister rail on the landing above us


96.
I lean against him; he puts one arm round my shoulders


97.
Instead, he walks round to the back of the car, opens the boot, takes off his shoes and puts on a pair of Wellington boots


98.
He changes his footwear and puts the boots into a plastic carrier bag, which he drops into the rear passenger foot well


99.
The doctor fills the first box, counting out one hundred sachets, and puts the remaining three with the others from the second box


100.
The girl puts her right hand on his shoulder

1.
now discouraging those who still putting their trust in


2.
The C in putting the smack down on your goals is committing


3.
Those guys are putting their lives on the line


4.
activity? How can I use my time more effectively in order to create and live the life I want? How about those little times that we talked about, like putting something in the microwave


5.
«Oh she let me know she was worth aluminum, I knew she could put up that camp with her left hand, she talked about putting up a whole plank villa


6.
Clunker,” Nancy said, putting the emphasis on his last name, which she knew he hated


7.
However, putting into practice what you have learned


8.
Jorma had worked hard putting this together in only a half a year, what she used to think of as a month


9.
She changed her clothes as an excuse for putting her bag back in the boat with her other clothes and the maps


10.
He follows me through and, while I fuss around putting food on a plate for him, he sits at the table, resting his chin on his hands

11.
“You must have dropped it while the gravity was shifting back to normal,” Johnny commented, putting the Chip back in his pocket


12.
Ackers was simply no good at this, but he thought he was doing a splendid job of putting the paper boy at ease


13.
But Doreen assured me that he oversaw Dan putting all the stuff back into the cupboard and locked it up securely


14.
Putting together the Raised Bed: A good raised bed should be at least 4 ft x 10 ft x 12 inches high with 2 inch thick wood


15.
A frog braver than the rest putting his head above the


16.
it today? We should always expect it, in spite of the things we see, putting


17.
«So you shouldn’t have sold it to her,» he said, putting it together with the edict from the Kassikan


18.
Out of the corner of his eye, he spies Hassan slowly putting his foot back on the table


19.
Concerned, I hurry over to where she is sitting and, putting one arm round her shoulders, give her a hug


20.
source of faith, then having faith and putting it to practice becomes our

21.
’ He said starkly, putting on his glasses and look straight at me


22.
«And what would that be?» Ava asked, reluctantly putting the cup down


23.
A few minutes later, putting my mobile away in my bag again, I reverse the car out of the parking space and drive down the road


24.
Theo considered drawing his weapon and putting it to the old ladies head


25.
grind, putting on that happy face that she did so well even when the soul was blank


26.
It was certainly better for them that Ava was still here and she hoped they appreciated the effort she had been putting into helping them


27.
‘Closed that side of the motorway for best part of an hour what with getting Liz off to hospital and then putting out the fire


28.
God heals, putting into practice the words “by His wounds I have been


29.
All the while Brazil marched doggedly ahead putting genetic formulas from the Kassikan into production for use on human beings


30.
The doctors are still trying to work out whether he is genuinely crackers or just putting it on

31.
Our operatives in Brazil say they the Kassikan sent the code to that virus also during the period of radio contact and Brazil was close to putting that into production


32.
’ She said, putting my mug in front of me


33.
In a daze, I walk round the aisles pushing the trolley and putting items in it … reaching the pharmacy section, I stand before the display of condoms and pregnancy testing kits feeling very ignorant


34.
goal of putting an eldership in place


35.
The training he had been putting himself thru showed in his every move


36.
We chatted every so often, him grinning at me, sometimes even sitting next to me on the camp bed and putting his arm around my shoulder


37.
They were putting sugar syrup on the berries and gruel that was part of breakfast this Afternoonday


38.
The semiconductor business was trying to make a comeback by putting more functionality into the optical and more-or-less permanent part of the system and a cheap, replaceable ‘yingolian crystal’ that cost less than an iron


39.
Maybe he should have been more of a man, hiding his feelings and resuming the daily grind, putting on that happy face that she did so well even when the soul was blank


40.
«She undoubtedly told you how I love that,» Desa told him while turning towards him and putting her arm around his shoulders so her chest pressed against him

41.
«Thanks so much,» she told him, kissing a finger and putting it to his lips


42.
They had big jars to purify the water before anyone would even consider putting it to their lips


43.
Though the pagan soldiers mocked Jesus by putting upon Him that scarlet robe and crown of thorns, the nations will one day bow the knee and worship Him


44.
‘Whatever shall I do without him, Berndt?’ she asked, putting into words the awful truth that had blasted at her all the way from the wasteg


45.
She kept putting cold compresses on his forehead, and wiping his neck and chest


46.
“You don’t have to convince me, Steve,” she said, softly putting her hand on Steve’s shoulder


47.
She’d never really thought about that before … known it yes, but they didn’t talk about it … and all the time he’d been putting things away for her … had Berndt known? He’d visited the warehouse, he’d told her so … perhaps that’s what he meant when he said that Joris intended his bequest to show his love to the world …


48.
water in it before putting it on the angle which was jutting out


49.
Gilla snorts at him for putting that before my welfare


50.
This one, though tastier, was putting off less fear pheromones and looked to be serious with that tooth launcher

51.
“They are away for 10 days, didn’t see the point in putting them


52.
Poopsie was busy in the Tavern; she was putting away the mugs


53.
putting out the stars with the disabling whine of wind and siren


54.
He listens patiently, putting in a word when he can, but his gaze as it watches her face, is warm and affectionate


55.
I can’t imagine Wiesse putting up with anything less than the best


56.
Cosmicblasto went into the caves, where Ethereead was putting


57.
I don’t like the idea that she is putting of her wedding because of me but Gilla jumps in before I can say anything


58.
Both men cry out once, putting their hands to their faces and falling … he must have had two knives, one in each hand


59.
The antidote was based on limbering up the spine and keeping it supple, bending it this way and that to relieve tired muscles, and putting the feet up above the head to combat the pull and downward drag of gravity


60.
‘I’m putting this rather badly, aren’t I?’ he said ruefully, running one hand through his hair and making it all stand on end

61.
It is more difficult than I anticipated but I achieve it and by the time Berndt knocks on my cabin door, I have the words firmly in my mind and am just putting the finishing touches to my appearance


62.
putting all faith in the hope


63.
‘Father has been talking about putting the wedding off until next summer … it was more than I could take after waiting all this time


64.
With the eraser he re-architected his tower, putting the globe on four posts, then three


65.
buttocks off the floor, putting your hands on your hips to steady


66.
It was a good size jug with a glass stopper and its contents smelled a lot tastier than what the kids were drinking, even putting off a little trace of fume


67.
He could hear the battle below; they were putting up a fierce fight


68.
«About a week and a half before I told him I was putting in for these separation papers


69.
After you have posted your profile posting requirement on the online dating site for free, you are ready to plunge into the world of web-relationship management; this includes putting in your


70.
what? Putting a finger on the knot?’ A spiked, cruel laugh, brittle and hard, ‘Sorry, that was thoughtless

71.
make the mistake of putting just anything into your profile header since this will leave you with responses to your online dating ad that you don’t want


72.
«We have backups,» he said, putting his faith in the promise of the Church


73.
Time stretches on … still I sit there … thinking back over the years I have known Alastair … putting together all that I have learned today with what I already knew


74.
Your wife is putting the kids to bed and the eve of this great


75.
We talked about the property David had left, discussing the different options open to us, suggesting that it might be best to keep the house for the time being, depositing anything precious in storage and, putting it in the hands of a reliable agent, letting it out until such time as Abi was of age


76.
In the kitchen, the washing up I was doing when Sally called is now dry and I start putting it away


77.
Now, how about putting the kettle and coffee-making stuff over there … yes, that looks okay


78.
The liquid in hers was putting off heavy fumes that she inhaled before she put the cup down


79.
‘No point putting it off, my love


80.
I’m putting the last of the shopping away when he walks into the kitchen looking pleased with himself

81.
Kelvin frowned a bit at the ‘we’, but he was suspicious enough to avoid putting words to it


82.
We stand there in the back lobby for ages, but eventually, when my sobs have reduced to sniffles, she leads me into the kitchen and sits me down, going over and putting the kettle on to boil


83.
You’d have laughed though, Alastair, it seems he appreciated our putting Laura down and commented that he wished it happened more often


84.
You have to respect her for that – hope she’s not putting too much strain on herself


85.
‘I’m too ancient to make a fuss about these things, Anna!’ Alastair protested, putting his ring back on


86.
“Don’t worry”, said Kirk, putting a reassuring hand on hers


87.
’ Alastair said, taking the heap of plates from her and putting them on the table


88.
Rob and Trish are busy putting Leo into his seat in their car and he’s protesting at the imposition


89.
‘I’m putting one on order — you should have it by the middle of next week I should think


90.
I don’t know why it is but if ever I have to go out — and it happens rarely enough — Mum invariably rings just as I am putting on my coat

91.
A large square in front of them was ringed with the sturdy railing she had seen workmen putting up the day before


92.
The pub is only just up the road; it’s not worth putting on my gloves


93.
putting themselves into the position of standing in


94.
It would make sense putting the rent into a separate account just in case there were repairs needed to the property


95.
The current contractor tried to shovel all the blame for the extra cost onto the original firm and, although there are some grounds for that, there is also the fact that the new mob haven’t been putting their back into the job, but using their work force on a very lucrative housing development instead


96.
Bunty appears to have given up her very economic style of writing and is now cramming in a lot more into the space provided, putting down her feelings


97.
She went the whole hog with publicity, approaching the local paper and putting the humanitarian case … not trying to swing the planning permission but underlining the need


98.
‘You’ll get fat!’ he commented putting some more bread into the toaster


99.
’ Dave said, putting Kieran down and taking my hand, ‘Sarah, this is my sister, Chris


100.
I loved that clueless look on her face and enjoyed putting it there

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)

PUT ACROSS

a) Give opinion clearly, explain an idea well, describe articulately
‘I thought Emily put her views on politics across really well during the discussion.’

b) Speak and express yourself clearly, make a positive impression
‘When David spoke in front of the class, he put himself across really well.’
 

PUT ASIDE

a) Keep or save something for later
‘I always put aside my best suit for special occasions.’
‘You really should put some money aside for your retirement!’
‘Hardworking parents still need to put time aside for their children.’

b) Not allow yourself to be negatively affected by something, ignore temporarily
‘Mike and his girlfriend were able to put aside their differences because they loved each other.’
‘Jim has put his problems aside and is now getting on with his life.’ 

Put phrasal verb quiz
 

PUT AWAY

a) Return something to its usual place
‘Arthur put away his car keys and his wallet.’
‘Tell the kids to put their toys away before bedtime!’

b) Send to prison or a mental hospital
‘If you commit a serious crime and get caught, you could be put away for life!’
‘That woman’s crazy! They should put her away.’

c) Save (up) money
‘You should consider putting some money away for your grandchildren each month.’

d) Consume food or drink quickly or in large quantities (informal)
‘I went to the pub with Emily last night. That girl can really put her beer away!’

e) Score a goal (informal)
‘Ronaldo skinned the keeper and put it away in the 91st minute! What a goal!’
 

PUT BACK

a) Postpone, delay, schedule for a later date
‘Tell John that the meeting has been put back until next week.’

b) Return something to its original location
‘When I finished reading, I put the book back (in the drawer).’

c) Change a clock/watch to an earlier time
‘When do we put the clocks back? I know it’s sometime in October.’

d) Delay or hold up progress
‘The economic crisis in Europe has put back production in several key industries.’
 

PUT BY

Save (up) money
‘I try to put a fiver (£5) by each week to give to charity.’

In English, there are often several ways of saying the same thing. For example, ‘put by’, ‘put away’ and ‘put aside’ can all be used to describe the process of saving money to spend later. Another example of this is ‘put down’, which can mean the same as ‘take down’ and ‘write down’ (record in writing).

PUT DOWN

a) Insult, humiliate, criticise
‘As a child, Jennifer never liked her aunt because she always put her down.’
‘I wish you’d stop putting yourself down. You can do this job standing on your head!’

b) Kill an animal or pet because it is old or ill
‘The poor dog had to be put down because it couldn’t walk anymore.’

c) Suppress, stop with force
‘Armed police have put down another riot in the city of Cairo.’

d) Write down, make a note of
‘Can you speak a bit slower, please? I’m struggling to put all this down!’ (Also: take down)
‘Let’s put some ideas down on paper before we start the meeting.’

e) Leave a deposit, make a down payment
‘Rob and Lucy have put down £30,000 on a house near their son’s school.’

f) Put a baby to bed
‘Little Alfie has kept me awake all this week! Can you put him down tonight?’

NOTE: When we say ‘put down’ about a baby, it does not mean we are going to kill an annoying child! Meanings b) and f) above are very different! Phrasal verbs often have multiple meanings so you must pay attention to the context in order to understand them correctly.
 

PUT DOWN FOR

Book place as, sign up as, list as
‘Shall I put you down for swimming classes on a Monday, or would you prefer gymnastics?’
‘I’m happy to donate to your charity. Please, put me down for £10.’ (Record pledge)
 

PUT DOWN TO

Be due to, be the reason for, attribute to
‘John’s made a few mistakes, but I think we can put that down to inexperience.’

PUT FORWARD

a) Suggest an idea, opinion or candidate
‘At the open day, Hannah put forward her opinions on veganism.’
‘I’d like to put Marie Walker forward as the new chairwoman for our committee.’

b) Change the time on a clock to a later time
‘The school children put the clock forward so the lesson would finish earlier.’

c) Schedule to an earlier time
‘Our annual conference has been brought forward by a week.’
‘If you bring the deadline forward, then we are not going to complete the project on time!’
 

PUT IN

a) Invest time or effort
‘The amount of money you make depends on the work you put in.’
‘I had to put in an extra 3 hours today to cover for an absent colleague.’

b) Install
‘Jim and Henrietta are having their new kitchen put in next week.’
‘What’s going on with all the roadwork? Are they putting in a new bus lane?’

c) Formally submit (request, claim, proposal, etc.)
‘Our charity has put in a grant application for additional laptops and printers.’

d) Interrupt
‘“Why don’t we just postpone the project?” she loudly put in.’

Phrasal verbs are not always logical! For example, you can ‘put on’ a shirt, but you cannot ‘put off’ a shirt. Instead, we say ‘take off’. You cannot say ‘take on’ to mean ‘get dressed’ because this means ‘to hire’! It is always best to learn phrasal verbs with several examples in context.

e) Invest, contribute money
‘When the business started, each of the investors each put in £20,000.’

f) Give position or place to someone
‘They had to put in a new Head Teacher because the school was failing to meet its targets.’
‘Local voters put the Democrats in because they were angry with the ruling party.’ (Elected)

g) Stop at a port (about a ship)
‘The tall ships put in at Cape Town on their 1000 mile voyage.’
 

PUT IN FOR

Make formal request
‘After a failed office romance, Mary put in for a transfer to a different company branch.’
‘Have you put in for your provisional driving licence yet?’
 

PUT OFF

a) Delay, postpone
‘When are you going to learn to drive? You can’t keep putting it off forever!’

b) Make someone feel dislike for, discourage someone from doing something
‘Steve had dirty shoes on the date. That really put me off (him)!’
‘I would’ve gone into medicine, but was put off by the long hours.’

c) Distract
‘I am trying to concentrate, but you’re putting me off! Can you please keep the noise down?’

d) Avoid through postponement
‘I keep putting my mum off, but she really wants you to come round for dinner!’
 

PUT ON

Put phrasal verbs in English

a) Present, host, organise something
‘The Globe Theatre in London puts on a lot of fantastic plays.’
‘Our local pub is putting on a gig for charity next month.’ (Concert)
‘There are lots of parents joining the school trip so we’ll have to put on extra minibuses.’

b) Gain weight
‘David’s put on a few pounds over Christmas, hasn’t he?’
‘I’ve put a bit on since I quit the gym. I really need to do more exercise!’

c) Get dressed, start wearing
‘He put on his coat and left the house.’

d) Pretend, fake, recreate something
‘Olivia put on an American accent because she thought it made her sound cool.’

e) Apply, spread on surface
‘Hotdogs are really tasty if you put some mustard on (them).’
‘My girlfriend always puts makeup on before we go out.’

f) Turn on, cause device to start working, play
‘Do you mind if I put the TV on?
Put the kettle on and we’ll have a nice cup of tea!’
‘I’ve just bought this new CD. Can I put it on?’
‘If I’m home late, can you put the dinner on?’ (Start cooking with a cooker/oven)

g) Place a bet
‘Geoff put £10 on Arsenal to win the cup final.’

h) Call to the phone
‘Jessica’s just upstairs. Hang on a minute and I’ll put her on!’

i) Add, apply to
‘Farmers are asking supermarkets to put 10p on a litre of milk to help cover production costs.’
‘These days, parents put too much pressure on their kids to perform well at school.’

j) Give responsibility for
‘Junior doctors are often put on night shifts because older members of staff have families.’

k) Prescribe treatment, medicine
‘The doctor has put me on some stronger painkillers.’
 

PUT OUT

a) Defeat in a sporting competition
‘Everybody laughed when Iceland put England out of the Euro’s.’

b) Hurt or injure (usually about the back or joints)
‘John’s put his shoulder out playing tennis so he won’t be joining us for our match.’

c) Have sexual relations with someone (American slang)
‘I heard Jenny puts out on the first date!’

Bear in mind that phrasal verbs can have unexpected slang meanings! ‘Put out’ is one example of this, but there are many others used in everyday English. For instance, ‘make out’ (USA) and ‘get off’ (UK) both meaning ‘to kiss’.

d) Stop from burning, extinguish
‘The bouncer put his cigarette out and went back inside the night club.’
Put out that fire before anyone sees we’re camping here!’
‘I’m going to bed now. Please, put the lights out when you come up.’

e) Place outside, give away for collection
‘I put the bin out early every Thursday morning.’ (For rubbish collection)
‘In winter, we like to put some bread out for the birds in the garden.’
‘We have to put the cat out at night so it doesn’t scratch the furniture.’
‘Can you put the washing out when it stops raining?’ (Hang on the washing line to dry)

f) Inconvenience, create extra work for
‘I can easily stay at a hotel. Please don’t put yourself out just because I’m coming to visit!’

g) Broadcast, publish, produce and make public, introduce to market
‘When is your band putting out its first album?’
‘Hollywood puts out loads of films that never get shown at the cinema.’
‘Apple puts out a new iPhone once a year.’
‘The police have put out an official statement following the bank robbery.’

h) Move hand/arm/leg away from your body
‘If you want to stop a bus in the UK, you need to put your arm out.’ (Give arm signal)
 

PUT OVER

Express, convey information
‘During the presentation, I thought June put her main point over very clearly.’
 

PUT THROUGH

List of phrasal verbs with put

a) Connect someone by phone
‘Please hold while I put you through to our sales team.’

b) Make someone do something difficult
‘I’ve put myself through a tough week of training in preparation for the marathon.’

c) Test or trial something
‘The new drug was put through several trials before it was officially accepted.’
‘Our boss puts all new employees through a series of cognitive tests.’

d) Pay for someone’s education
‘Josh’s dad put him through

e) Ensure something is submitted, approved or implemented
‘With this substantial majority, the ruling party can put through its new measures on housing.’
‘The local council has put through plans to redevelop the city centre.’
‘Has your application been put through yet, or are you still waiting to hear back from them?’
 

PUT TOGETHER

a) Create a group of people or things
‘Our company has put together a football team, but it’s not very good!’
‘The think tank has put a group of experts together to tackle the research project.’

b) Assemble, build from separate parts
‘The IKEA wardrobe took 4 hours to put together!’
‘My son has taken the computer apart and now I don’t know how to put it back together!’

c) Compile, organise, create from separate items
‘We’ve put together a set of simple rules to help staff keep the office tidy.’
‘I’ve put this CD together for you. It has all my favourite 80s tracks!’
‘The art students put the exhibition together at short notice.’

PUT TOWARDS

Use an amount of money to cover part of the cost of something
‘If you give Rob some money for his birthday, he’ll put it towards a new mountain bike.’
 

PUT UP

a) Build or erect
‘We’re planning to put up a new shed at the bottom of our garden.’
‘They’re putting up a primary school on the site of the old cinema.’
‘Let’s put the tent up now because it’ll be dark soon.’

b) Raise the price or value of something
‘Supermarkets have put their prices up
‘The Bank of England has decided to put up interest rates.’

c) Allow someone to stay for a short time
‘I had nowhere to stay, so my friends agreed to put me up for a couple of nights.’

d) Fix or hang on a wall or vertical surface
‘Where do you think we should put this picture up?’
‘Do you mind if I put up some posters in the window of your cafe?’
‘Can you help me to put up some shelves in the garage?’

e) Provide a large sum of money for something
‘An anonymous businessman has put up £10,000 to help rebuild the church roof.’

f) Raise something so it is ready for use
‘It’s raining! Put your umbrella up!’
‘If it’s windy and you’re cold, why don’t you put your hood up?’

g) Suggest someone as a candidate
‘The Democrats have chosen not to put up a candidate in this constituency.’

h) Raise hand
‘If you know the answer, please put up your hand.’

i) Make an effort to achieve or prevent something
‘The rebels put up a spirited fight, but were eventually overcome by government forces.’ 
 

PUT UP TO

a) Encourage someone to do something bad
‘Mike stole some sweets because his girlfriend put him up to it.’
 

PUT UP WITH

a) Tolerate someone or something unpleasant or annoying
‘Nathan puts up with his little sister even though she can be annoying at times.’
‘I know you don’t like your new school, but you’ll just have to put up with it for now.’

QUIZ: Test your knowledge of phrasal verbs with ‘put’!

TASK A

Choose the appropriate phrasal verb to complete the sentences below:

  • I don’t know how you put up/put up with/put up to your boss. He’s such a bully!
  • Our sales are down 10% this year. What would you put this down/put this down to/put this down for?
  • The financial crisis put the UK economy off/put the UK economy back/put the UK economy down 5 years.
  • I really don’t want John to come to our wedding. Is there any way we can put him off coming/put him out coming/put him out coming?
  • I want to put up to/put up/put down some shelves this weekend. Can you give me a hand?
TASK B

Match the phrasal verbs 1-5 with their correct meanings a-e:

  1. Put up
  2. Put aside
  3. Put down
  4. Put together
  5. Put forward
  1. Assemble, build from individual parts
  2. Suggest an idea, give your view
  3. Fix to a vertical surface
  4. Insult, criticise
  5. Ignore, not allow yourself to be affected by

Your answers: 1 = __, 2 = __, 3 = __, 4 = __, 5 = __.

Bonus task: To test your understanding of these phrasal verbs with ‘put’, try to write one sentence for each of them.      

TASK C

Fill in the gaps with an appropriate ‘put’ phrasal verb:

  • I don’t smoke. Would you mind putting _______ your cigarette?
  • If you give me some money for Xmas, then I can put it _______ a new laptop.
  • I’d be happy to donate! Put me _______ £15 and I’ll give you the cash next week.
  • Laura would never steal anything! Perhaps a friend put her _______ it?
  • Even though my parents were poor, they still put me _______
ANSWERS

TASK A: put up with, put down to, put back, put off, put up

TASK B: 1/c, 2/e, 3/d, 4/a, 5/b

TASK C: put out, put towards, put down for, put up to, put through

How did you score?

Remember to download your free copy of this guide to use anytime! Practice makes perfect.

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James F.
— Staff Writer.

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If you wanna say someone put their hand on my shoulder throughout the window should i say extended his hand on my shoulder?

asked Aug 10, 2019 at 14:55

Celine Hijazeen's user avatar

1

One of many possible sentences I could construct for the scenario described is: He extended his arm, reached through the window, and put his hand on my shoulder. But that just comes down to the definition of extend and what is being expressed. In this case, it’s not the hand that’s extended, but the arm. He extended his hand on my shoulder doesn’t make sense. Not necessarily because of the word extend, but because of the overall sentence. Figuratively, you can extend a hand (to offer help), but not literally.

Credit: Jason Bassford

answered Aug 10, 2019 at 16:01

Justin's user avatar

JustinJustin

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The construction worker carefully put the finishing brick piece to complete the building project.

OR, in another sense of «put»: «He decided to put his answer in the most diplomatic way he could.»

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∙ 9y ago

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