Learn English Phrasal Verbs:Put
Put combines with a small set of particles to talk about delaying, wearing, storing, and tolerating.
put aside
leave until later
I’ll put aside the invoices until Friday.
I’ll leave the invoices until Friday.
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put away
return to their place
Please put away your books after class.
Please return your books to their place after class.
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put back
return
She put back the book on the shelf.
She returned the book to the shelf.
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put down
place on a surface
He put down the box so he could open the door.
He placed the box so he could open the door.
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put forward
present
The manager put forward a new plan in the meeting.
The manager presented a new plan in the meeting.
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put in
spend
They put in extra hours to finish the project.
They spent extra hours to finish the project.
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put off
postpone
We had to put off the trip because of the storm.
We had to postpone the trip because of the storm.
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put on
switch on
She puts on the alarm before she leaves.
She switches on the alarm before she leaves.
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put out
extinguish
The firefighters put out the fire quickly.
The firefighters extinguished the fire quickly.
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put through
connect
The receptionist put the call through to the manager.
The receptionist connected the call to the manager.
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put up
increase
The shop put up the price of bread yesterday.
The shop increased the price of bread yesterday.
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put up with
tolerate
I can’t put up with that noise while I work.
I can’t tolerate that noise while I work.
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About this set
This page is for learners who already meet put off and put on in topic packs and want the verb family in one place.
Put up with is the three-word item to watch: the meaning is tolerate, and the words stay together.
Usage notes
- put off. Separable. Put off a meeting means postpone it. Put someone off can also mean discourage them — not the meaning practised here.
- put on. Separable, and the meaning depends on the object: put on a coat, put on weight, put on a show.
- put up with. Inseparable. Put up with noise means tolerate it. Put someone up (without with) means give them a bed for the night.
- put out. Separable for extinguish: put the fire out. Other meanings exist; this pack keeps the common physical one.
Common questions
Is put up the same as put up with?
No. Put up can mean let someone stay (put a friend up) or raise something. Put up with means tolerate. The extra with changes the meaning.
Why do learners write put off it?
With a pronoun, the particle comes last: put it off, not put off it. The same pattern applies to put on, put away, and put out.