Phrasal verbs with put
Put is about placing something, and many of its phrasal verbs still are: put on a coat, put away the shopping. Others have moved far from that: put off means delay, and put up with means tolerate.
Phrasal verbs with put by level
- A1–A23put on, put in
- B110put on, put off, put away
- B218put on, put off, put away
- C1–C23put together, put forward
Each meaning has its own level, from Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries and the Cambridge Dictionary, or our estimate (~) where they give none.
A1–A2The first ones to learn 3 meanings
- put onput something onA2
dress yourself in clothes, shoes or glasses
Put on a coat. It’s freezing outside!
- put onput something onA2
make a machine start working, or start music or a film
Shall I put some music on?
- put input something inA2
put something inside a container, a machine or a drink
Put your card in and type your number.
B1Common, with a clear meaning 10 meanings
- put onput something onB1
become heavier
I’ve put on three kilos since Christmas.
- put offput something offB1
decide to do something later than you planned
We put off the trip until spring.
- put awayput something awayB1
put something in the place where it is kept
Put your toys away before dinner.
- put downput somebody or something downB1
place something you are holding on a table or the floor
She put down her bags and hugged me.
- put output something outB1
stop a fire, a cigarette or a light from burning or shining
Firefighters put out the fire in an hour.
- put output something outB1
place something outside or on a table for people to use
We put out some snacks for the guests.
- put upput something upB1
fix something to a wall, or raise something higher
We put up some photos in the hall.
- put upput something upB1
make a price, a rent or a tax higher
The landlord put up the rent again.
- put backput something backB1
return something to the place where it was before
Please put the milk back in the fridge.
- put input something inB1
fix new equipment in a home or building so it works
We’re having a new shower put in.
B2Second meanings and more idiomatic ones 18 meanings
- put onput something onB2
organise a show, a play or an event for people
The school puts on a play every spring.
- put offput somebody offB2
make someone dislike something or not want to do it
The smell put me off my food.
- put offput somebody offB2
stop someone from thinking about what they are doing
Please stop talking. You’re putting me off!
- put awayput something awayB2
save money to use later
We put away a little money every month.
- put downput somebody or something downB2
write a name or detail on a list or a form
Put my name down for the trip.
- put downput somebody downB2
say unkind things to make someone feel stupid
He always puts his sister down in front of friends.
- put downput somebody or something downB2
kill a sick or old animal kindly, so it does not suffer
The vet said we had to put our old dog down.
- put output somebody outB2
cause someone extra work or trouble
I don’t want to put you out. I’ll take a taxi.
- put output something outB2
make music, news or a product available to the public
The band put out a new album in May.
- put upput somebody or something upB2
build something, like a tent, a fence or a building
It took us an hour to put up the tent.
- put upput somebody upB2
let someone stay in your home for a short time
Can you put me up for a night?
- put backput something backB2
move an event to a later time or date
The match has been put back to Sunday.
- put up withput up with somebody or somethingB2
accept something or someone annoying without complaining
I can’t put up with this noise any longer.
- put togetherput something togetherB2
make something by joining its parts
It took me two hours to put the desk together.
- put togetherput togetherB2
added together, when you compare amounts
He earns more than the rest of us put together.
- put forwardput something forwardB2
change a clock so it shows a later time
Don’t forget to put the clocks forward tonight.
- put input something inB2
spend time or effort on something
She puts in ten hours a day at the café.
- put input something inB2
officially make a request, an offer or a complaint
I’ve put in a request for a day off.
C1–C2Less common and more formal 3 meanings
- put togetherput somebody or something togetherC1
prepare a plan, a team or a piece of work from different parts
We put together a plan for the new shop.
- put forwardput something forwardC1
suggest an idea or a plan so people can discuss it
She put forward a plan to save money.
- put forwardput somebody forwardC1
suggest someone, or yourself, for a job or a prize
The school put him forward for the award.
Café orders
New friends
At the airport
Slova
Use phrasal verbs with put in real conversations
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Phrasal verbs with put that people mix up
Close in meaning, but not the same.
Phrasal verbs with put: exercise with answers
Eight questions. Pick an answer to see if it is right and why.
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1We had to _____ cold showers all week.
Put up with: accept something or someone annoying without complaining. More on put up with
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2The long queue _____ a lot of people _____.
Put off: make someone dislike something or not want to do it. More on put off
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3He didn’t put _____ a complaint about the noise. (officially make a request, an offer or a complaint)
Put in: officially make a request, an offer or a complaint. More on put in
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4Which is correct? (return something to the place where it was before)
Put back is separable here, and a pronoun must go in the middle. More on put back
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5Can you help me _____ this bike?
Put together: make something by joining its parts. More on put together
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6Don’t forget to put the clocks forward tonight. What does it mean here?
Put forward: change a clock so it shows a later time. More on put forward
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7They’re putting _____ a new fence next door. (build something, like a tent, a fence or a building)
Put up: build something, like a tent, a fence or a building. More on put up
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8I _____ the shopping and made lunch.
Put away: put something in the place where it is kept. More on put away
Phrasal verbs with put: FAQ
How many phrasal verbs with put are there?
Dictionaries list many more, but these 11 are the ones learners meet most, with 34 meanings between them. Each has its own page with examples, common mistakes and a short quiz.
What are the most common phrasal verbs with put?
Start with the A1 and A2 ones: put on, put in. Then the B1 ones, which are common in everyday conversation.
Which phrasal verbs with put are separable?
10 of them have at least one separable meaning, where the object can go in the middle: put on, put off, put away, put down, put out, put up. With a pronoun like it or them, the object must go in the middle.