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What does "put" mean?

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See put in WNW Idioms

put about

to change the course of (a sailing vessel) to another tack
to move in another direction

put across

Informal

â to cause to be understood or accepted
to carry out with success
to carry out by trickery

put ahead

to reset the hands of (a clock) to a later time

put aside

or put by

to reserve for later use
to give up; discard

put away

put aside
Informal to consign to a jail, mental hospital, etc.
Informal to consume (food or drink)
to kill (a pet) to prevent suffering

put back

to replace
to reset the hands of (a clock) to an earlier time
â to demote (a pupil)

put down

1. to crush; repress; squelch
2. to deprive of authority, power, or position; degrade
to write down; record
to attribute (to)
to consider as; classify
to land or make a landing in an aircraft
put away (sense ) (see phrase above)
â Slang to belittle, reject, criticize, or humiliate

put forth

to grow (leaves, shoots, etc.)
to bring into action; exert
to propose; offer
to bring out; publish; circulate
to leave a port

put forward

to advance or present (a plan, etc.)

put in

to enter a port or harbor
to enter (a claim, request, etc.)
to interpose; insert
Informal to spend (time) in a specified manner

put in for

to request or apply for

put it on

Slang to make a pretentious show; pretend or exaggerate

put it over on

Informal to deceive; trick

put it there!

Slang shake hands with me: an expression of agreement, reconciliation, etc.

put off

to leave until later; postpone; delay
to discard
to evade; divert
to perturb; upset; distress

put on

to clothe, adorn, or cover oneself with
to take on; add to put on a few pounds
to assume or pretend
to apply (a brake, etc.)
to stage (a play)
â Slang to fool (someone) by playing on the person's credulity; hoax

put on to

to inform (someone) about (something)

put out

to expel; dismiss
to extinguish (a fire or light)
â to spend (money)
to disconcert; confuse
to distress; ruffle; vex
to inconvenience
1. to publish
2. to produce and distribute
3. to supply, offer, or display
Slang to engage in sexual intercourse, often promiscuously: usually said of a woman
Baseball to cause (a batter or runner) to be out by a fielding play

put over

to postpone; delay
â Informal put across

put paid to

Brit. to put an end to; terminate

put something over on

Informal to deceive; trick

put through

â to perform successfully; carry out
to cause to do or undergo
to connect (someone) by telephone with someone else

put to it

to place in a difficult situation; press hard

put up

to offer, as for consideration, decision, auction, etc.
to offer as a candidate
to preserve or can (fruits, vegetables, etc.)
to erect; build
to lodge, or provide lodgings for
â
1. to advance or provide (money)
2. Slang to do or produce what is needed or wanted
to arrange (the hair) with curlers, bobby pins, etc.
to carry on to put up a struggle
Informal to incite (a person) to some action
to sheathe (one's sword)

put upon

to impose on; victimize

put up with

to bear or suffer patiently; tolerate

See put in American Heritage Dictionary 4 Idioms

put to sleep

To make weary; bore.
To subject to euthanasia.
To subject to general anesthesia.

put two and two together

To draw the proper conclusions from existing evidence or indications.

put up or shut up

Slang

To have to endure (something unpleasant) without complaining or take the action necessary to remove the source of the unpleasantry.

put up with

To endure without complaint: We had to put up with the inconvenience.

put to bed

Informal

To make final preparations for the printing of (a newspaper, for example).
To make final preparations for completing (a project).

put to it

To cause extreme difficulty for: We were put to it to finish the book on time.

an end

put /a halt/a stop to

To bring to an end; terminate.

put down roots

To establish a permanent residence in a locale.

put in an appearance

To attend a social engagement, especially for a short time.

put it to (someone)

Slang

To overburden with tasks or work.
To put blame on.
To take unfair advantage of.
To lay out the facts of a situation to (another) in a forceful candid manner.
To defeat soundly; trounce.

put (one) in mind

To remind: You put me in mind of your grandmother.

put (oneself) out

To make a considerable effort; go to trouble or expense.

put (one's) finger on

To identify: I can't put my finger on the person in that photograph.

put (one's) foot down

To take a firm stand.

put (one's) foot in (one's) mouth

To make a tactless remark.

put paid to

Chiefly British

To finish off; put to rest: “We've given up saying we only kill to eat; Kraft dinner and freeze-dried food have put paid to that one” (Margaret Atwood).

put (someone) in (someone's) place

To lower the dignity of (someone); humble.

put (someone) through (someone's) paces

To cause to demonstrate ability or skill; test: The drama coach put her students through their paces before the first performance.

put (someone) up to

To cause to commit a funny, mischievous, or malicious act: My older brother put me up to making a prank telephone call.

put something over on:

To deceive, cheat, or trick.

arm

put the /bite/squeeze on Slang

To ask another for money.

put the finger on

Slang

To inform on: The witness put the finger on the killer.

make

put the /moves on Slang

To make sexual advances to.

put the screws /on Slang

To pressure (another) in an extreme manner.

put the skids on

Slang

To bring to a halt: “Sacrificing free speech to put the skids on prurient printed matter is not the correct path, the courts said” (Curtis J. Sitomer).

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