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Students often ask me: “Is there a phrasal verb for every action with PUT?” The answer is practically yes — PUT is one of the most prolific verbs in English. But here’s the trap: knowing 70 definitions of “put” means knowing nothing. You’ll forget them all by next week. Instead, I teach patterns. PUT usually clusters around four core meanings: physical placement, communication, endurance, and delay. Once you see those patterns, the individual verbs stick. For more, see our English job interview tips. For more, see our business meeting vocabulary.
This guide reorganizes PUT phrasal verbs by semantic family so you learn them the way native speakers do — as clusters of related ideas. I’ve chosen 40+ of the most useful PUT verbs, each with clear definitions, separability notes, register, and examples you can use in writing and conversation.
Key Takeaways
- PUT clusters into four patterns: physical placement, communication/explanation, endurance/tolerance, and delay/postponement.
- Most PUT verbs are separable — you can place the object between “put” and the particle or after, depending on the noun/pronoun.
- With pronouns, most require separation: “Put it away” (not “Put away it”); “Put me down” (not “Put down me”).
- Register varies: Some PUT verbs are very formal (put forth, put asunder); others are casual (put off, put up with).
- The most useful 10-15 verbs cover 80% of everyday and academic usage.
Pattern 1: Physical Placement and Storage
This group is about putting things in physical locations — storing, returning, placing.
Put Away
To place something in its normal storage location; to tidy up; to store for later use; to consume in large quantities; to send to prison; to defeat decisively (in sports).
Separability: Separable
Register: Very common, all contexts
Example 1 (Storage): He put his toys away every night before bed.
Example 2 (Tidy): She put the books away neatly on the shelf.
Example 3 (Store for later): We put away food for the winter.
Put Back
To return something to its original place; to postpone an event; to turn back clocks (time zones); to drink quickly.
Separability: Separable
Register: Common
Example 1 (Return): He carefully put the vase back on the shelf.
Example 2 (Postpone): The meeting has been put back to 5 pm.
Example 3 (Time change): This Sunday, don’t forget we put the clocks back an hour.
Put Up
To place in a high location; to hang or mount; to provide accommodation; to offer or present; to provide funds; to construct.
Separability: Separable
Register: Common, neutral
Example 1 (Hang): Many people put up pictures on their refrigerators.
Example 2 (Accommodate): We can put you up for the night.
Example 3 (Offer): The house was put up for auction.
Put Down
To place something lower or on a surface; to write or record; to end a phone call; to add a name to a list; to make lower (prices); to place a baby to sleep; to land an aircraft; to terminate (an animal’s life); to suppress a rebellion.
Separability: Separable
Register: Very common
Example 1 (Place): Just put down your bag anywhere.
Example 2 (Write): Put down the first thing you think of on this paper.
Example 3 (Hang up phone): Don’t put the phone down — I want a word with him.
Put Forward
To propose for consideration; to advance (a theory or argument); to move forward (clocks/time).
Separability: Separable
Register: Neutral to formal
Example 1: The Prime Minister put forward new plans to tackle corruption.
Example 2: This Sunday, don’t forget to put the clocks forward an hour.
Put In
To place inside; to install; to apply or request formally; to contribute effort or time; to enter a port.
Separability: Separable (context dependent)
Register: Common, neutral
Example 1 (Insert): Just put in the key for the ignition and turn it.
Example 2 (Contribute): I put in an extra hour at work today.
Example 3 (Apply): I’m going to the bank to put in for a transfer.
Pattern 2: Communication, Explanation, and Expression
This group focuses on conveying meaning, explaining, or expressing ideas.
Put Across
To explain or state something clearly and understandably; to make oneself understood.
Separability: Separable
Register: Neutral to formal
Example 1: All good communicators use popular, well-understood examples to put across complex ideas.
Example 2: She was able to put her ideas across in a way everyone understood.
Put Over
To explain or express a concept clearly; to convince someone of something; to deceive or fool.
Separability: Separable
Register: Informal to neutral
Example 1: Professor Jones is a good teacher because he knows how to put his ideas over to the students.
Example 2: You must be putting me on! (= trying to fool me)
Put Together
To assemble or construct; to formulate (a plan); to combine elements into a whole.
Separability: Separable
Register: Common, neutral
Example 1: We’ll need to put together a plan if we want to finish this project.
Example 2: The team put together a comprehensive report in just two days.
Put Oneself Across
To present oneself clearly; to make a good impression by explaining your ideas and personality.
Separability: Separable (reflexive)
Register: Neutral to formal
Example 1: It is very important to put yourself across well at a job interview.
Pattern 3: Endurance, Tolerance, and Persistence
This group deals with suffering through, tolerating, or persisting with something difficult.
Put Up With
To endure, tolerate, or suffer through something annoying or unpleasant; to allow or accept.
Separability: Inseparable
Register: Very common, informal
Example 1: I put up with a lot of nonsense, but this is too much.
Example 2: How long will she put up with his behavior?
Put Through
To connect a phone call to someone; to cause to experience or endure something difficult.
Separability: Separable
Register: Common, neutral
Example 1 (Connect): Please hold the line while I put you through to the sales office.
Example 2 (Cause to endure): After all the grief my wife has put me through, I wonder why I’m still with her.
Pattern 4: Delay, Postponement, and Avoidance
This group covers putting things off, delaying, or avoiding.
Put Off
To postpone or delay an event or task; to distract or disturb someone’s concentration; to discourage someone from doing something; to switch off.
Separability: Separable
Register: Very common, informal
Example 1 (Delay): Don’t put off your homework to the last minute.
Example 2 (Distract): Please be quiet — you’re putting me off.
Example 3 (Discourage): Almost drowning put him off swimming for years.
Put Aside
To save money; to set apart for later use; to ignore or disregard something temporarily or permanently.
Separability: Separable
Register: Common, neutral
Example 1 (Save money): I try to put a few dollars aside each week for emergencies.
Example 2 (Disregard): Let’s put our differences aside for now and finish the project.
Pattern 5: Clothing, Appearance, and Pretense
Put On
To don clothing or accessories; to play a recording; to begin cooking; to perform or stage; to fool or deceive; to assume a false manner.
Separability: Separable
Register: Very common, all contexts
Example 1 (Don): Why don’t you put on your jacket? It’s cold.
Example 2 (Play music): I’ll put on your favorite record.
Example 3 (Cook): I’ll put on some coffee for everybody.
Example 4 (Perform): The actors put on a wonderful show.
Example 5 (Deceive): You must be putting me on!
Pattern 6: Miscellaneous and Figurative Uses
Put Out
To place outside or eject; to produce or manufacture; to injure a body part; to extinguish a flame; to inconvenience.
Separability: Separable
Register: Common, neutral
Example 1 (Place outside): Don’t forget to put out the cat before bed.
Example 2 (Produce): The factory puts out 4,000 units each day.
Example 3 (Extinguish): They worked for days to put out the brushfire.
Put To
To ask or pose a question; to make a proposal or challenge; to put into use.
Separability: Inseparable
Register: Neutral to formal
Example 1: I’ll put it to the committee and see what they say.
Example 2: The question was put to a vote.
Put Down As / Put Down For / Put Down To
Put down as = assume a particular character; Put down for = record that someone has offered to help; Put down to = state the cause of.
Separability: Inseparable
Register: Common, neutral
Example 1 (Put down as): I put him down as ignorant, but discovered he was a university professor!
Example 2 (Put down for): Put me down for one of the drivers.
Example 3 (Put down to): I put the high crime rate down to high unemployment.
Separability Rules for PUT Verbs
| Phrasal Verb | Separability | With Pronoun | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Put away | Separable | Put it away | She put the book away. / She put it away. |
| Put back | Separable | Put it back | He put the vase back. / He put it back. |
| Put up with | Inseparable | Put up with it | I can put up with delays. / I can put up with it. |
| Put off | Separable | Put me off | Don’t put off your homework. / Don’t put it off. |
| Put on | Separable | Put it on | Why don’t you put on your jacket? / Put it on. |
| Put together | Separable | Put it together | We need to put together a plan. / We need to put it together. |
Register Alert: Some PUT verbs are archaic or very formal (e.g., “put asunder” from marriage vows; “put by” to mean preserve). Use modern alternatives in everyday writing and speech unless quoting traditional sources.
Sample Dialogue
At Home: Parent and Child
Parent: Before you go out, please put away your toys and put on your jacket.
Child: But I want to stay out longer! Can we put off dinner?
Parent: We can put off dinner by 30 minutes, but you need to put up with the rule that you must be home by 6.
Child: OK. And when I get home, will you help me put together my school project?
Parent: Of course — but you put it off long enough already!
Common Mistakes with PUT Verbs
✗ Incorrect: Put away it before dinner.
✓ Correct: Put it away before dinner.
Why: With pronouns, the object comes between “put” and “away.”
✗ Incorrect: She cannot put up with it the behavior.
✓ Correct: She cannot put up with the behavior.
Why: “Put up with” is inseparable — don’t add extra words between “with” and the object.
✗ Incorrect: Don’t put off doing homework.
✓ Correct: Don’t put off doing your homework. OR Don’t put your homework off.
Why: “Put off” can take a gerund (doing) but usually takes a noun object (homework).
✗ Incorrect: The factory puts 1000 units out every day.
✓ Correct: The factory puts out 1000 units every day.
Why: Natural word order places the object after “out” rather than separating.
Quick Quiz
Complete each sentence with the correct PUT phrasal verb and word order:
- Can you ________ the luggage ________ in the overhead bins? (put/up)
- He finally ________ the puzzle ________. (put/together)
- The government ________ the rebellion ________. (put/down)
- I can’t ________ ________ much more of this noise! (put/up/with)
- She ________ ________ her best outfit for the interview. (put/on)
Answers: 1. put / up · 2. put / together · 3. put / down · 4. put / up with · 5. put / on
When to Use PUT Verbs: Register Guide
Most PUT verbs are informal to neutral and work well in conversation, casual emails, and storytelling. Some notes by context:
- Conversation and informal writing: Put off, put away, put on, put up with (all very natural)
- Formal/academic writing: Put forward, put out (as in “the factory puts out reports”), put to (in formal proposals)
- Archaic/formal: Put asunder, put by — avoid unless quoting or in historical context
Related Articles
- ↑ Master Pillar: English Grammar
- Separable Phrasal Verbs in English
- Phrasal Verbs with TAKE and GET
- Inseparable Phrasal Verbs in English
- ↑ Back to pillar: English Phrasal Verbs (Pillar)
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most common PUT phrasal verb?
“Put on” and “put off” are the most frequent. “Put on” works across multiple contexts (don clothing, play music, cook), and “put off” is very common in both formal and informal settings. These two should be priority learning.
Can all PUT verbs be separated?
No. Most are separable, but some are inseparable: “Put up with,” “put through,” “put to,” and their variations (put down to, put down as, put down for). When in doubt, check if separating creates a grammatical sentence — if not, it’s inseparable.
What is the difference between “put forward” and “put across”?
“Put forward” means to propose an idea, plan, or theory formally (especially in meetings or official contexts). “Put across” means to explain or communicate a complex idea clearly in simple terms. “Forward” is more about the proposal itself; “across” is about clarity.
Is “put up with” the same as “tolerate”?
Essentially yes, but “put up with” is more colloquial and often implies reluctance or complaint. You’d say “I tolerate my job” in formal writing, but “I put up with my job” in conversation to show you’re not happy about it.
When should I use “put down to” instead of “attribute to”?
“Put down to” is less formal and more colloquial: “I put the problem down to the weather.” “Attribute to” is more academic: “Scholars attribute climate change to greenhouse gases.” In everyday speech, “put down to” is more natural.
How many PUT phrasal verbs do I need to know?
For everyday English, 10–15 are sufficient: put on, put off, put away, put up with, put together, put out, put up, put forward, put through, and put down. These cover 80% of daily usage. The remaining 25+ are less frequent but useful in specific contexts.
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