Put back meaning
Put back means to return something to the place where it was before. It can also mean to move an event to a later time or date.
put something back
put back · put · putting
Please put the milk back in the fridge.
Put back meanings and examples
2 meanings, each with its own CEFR level. A level marked ~ is our estimate: Oxford and Cambridge give none for that meaning.
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1
Return something to the place where it was before
put something back
- Please put the milk back in the fridge.
- Who didn’t put back the scissors?
- If you don’t need the book, put it back.
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2
Move an event to a later time or date
put something back
- The match has been put back to Sunday.
- They put the wedding back by a month.
- Can we put back the call to three o’clock?
Café orders
New friends
At the airport
Slova
Use put back in real conversations
- Learn new words with picture cards
- Talk with Felix, an AI tutor, about the things you love
- Short lessons at your level, a few minutes a day
Is put back separable?
Put back is separable: put back the scissors, put the scissors back. With a pronoun, it goes in the middle: put it back.
When put back is about time, it always means later. To make an event earlier, say bring it forward: They brought the meeting forward to Monday.
Verb tenses for put back
| Present | I put back · she puts back |
|---|---|
| Past | put back |
| Present perfect | have put back |
| -ing form | putting back |
Common mistakes with put back
What learners often say, and what to say instead.
Wrong: You took my pen. Put back it!
Right: You took my pen. Put it back!
A pronoun goes between put and back.
Wrong: I put the book back to the shelf.
Right: I put the book back on the shelf.
Use on or in for the place, not to.
Wrong: The concert was put back to an earlier date.
Right: The concert was brought forward.
Put back only means later.
Synonyms and opposites of put back
Words close to it, and words that mean the opposite.
Similar
- put awayput something in its usual place after using it
- put offdecide to do something later
- returnthe formal word for putting something back
Opposite
- take outremove something from a place
- bring forwardmove an event to an earlier time
Put back quiz
Three quick questions. Pick an answer to see if it is right and why.
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1When you finish with the milk, ___ in the fridge.
Put back means return something to its place.
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2Choose the right sentence.
Use on for the shelf.
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3The final was put back to Sunday. Is it earlier or later now?
Put back means move to a later time.
More phrasal verbs with put
All phrasal verbs with put, by level, with an exercise
11 phrasal verbs start with put. Test yourself on all of them in a few minutes.
- put onA2dress yourself in clothes, shoes or glasses
- put offB1decide to do something later than you planned
- put awayB1put something in the place where it is kept
- put downB1place something you are holding on a table or the floor
- put outB1stop a fire, a cigarette or a light from burning or shining
- put upB1fix something to a wall, or raise something higher
- put up withB2accept something or someone annoying without complaining
- put togetherB2make something by joining its parts
- put forwardC1suggest an idea or a plan so people can discuss it
- put inA2put something inside a container, a machine or a drink
Put back FAQ
Questions people ask about put back.
What does put the clocks back mean?
It means change clocks to one hour earlier, as many countries do in autumn. In spring, people put the clocks forward.
Can put back mean drink?
Informally, yes. Put back can mean drink a lot quickly: He put back three coffees before the exam.
What is the past tense of put back?
Put back. Put is the same in the present, the past and the past participle: I’ve put it back.
Use put back in real conversations
In Slova you learn new words with picture cards, then use them when you talk about the things you love. A few minutes a day, at your level.