How to define a phrasal verb?

To understand how to use phrasal verbs with put, we need to understand what phrasal verbs actually are. The Britannica Dictionary defines “phrasal verb” as:

“A phrasal verb is a group of words that functions as a verb and is made up of a verb plus a preposition, an adverb, or both.”

There are a lot of different combinations with different parts of speech. You may have already known and used some of the most common phrasal verbs. For example, phrases like “get out” and “get along” are common phrasal verbs with get.

Phrasal verbs with put are used quite frequently in casual English conversations, too. Some of them have pretty diverse meanings, while others may act as synonyms to one another. In any case, memorizing them and practicing by incorporating them into your speech is the fastest way to master phrasal verbs.

Now that you know what phrasal verbs starting with put mean, it’s time to uncover them one by one!

25 phrasal verbs with put list

Here are the 25 phrasal verbs with put that we’re going to be discussing today:

Let’s jump right into it!
phrasal verbs with put list

#1 Put away

Put away meaning: to put something in a place where it usually belongs.

Example:

  • After he finished reading the book in the library, he put it away on the shelf.
  • I usually put away my summer clothes once September comes.

#2 Put aside

Put aside meaning: to save or keep something, usually something material like money, to use later.

Example:

  • I put aside some money every month so I can go on a vacation later.
  • You can put aside your homework for a while.

Another meaning of this put phrasal verb is to stop being affected by something negative, like an argument, or ignore it for some time to achieve another goal.

Example:

  • The main characters need to put aside their disagreements and work together to defeat an enemy.
  • We need to put our past problems aside and focus on the future.

#3 Put across

Put across meaning: to communicate your thoughts and ideas clearly in order for someone to understand it without an issue.

Example:

  • I put all of my best qualities across on the new job interview.
  • The difficult part of being a teacher is putting information across to students.

#4 Put back

Put back meaning: to return something to a place where it is usually situated.

Example:

  • I teach my kids to put their toys back once they finish playing.
  • You can use my pen, but you have to put it back after you’re done using it.

phrasal verbs starting with put

#5 Put by

Put by meaning: similar phrasal verb to put aside, to put by specifically means to save some money to use it later.

Example:

If you want to open your own company, you have to put by some money.

A good way to put by money is to store it in the bank.

#6 Put down

Curiously, put down has many different meanings. The first one is to place something onto the surface, usually the floor, or to stop carrying someone.

Example:

  • Hold on, I need to put down my grocery bag.

Another meaning of this put phrasal verb is to insult or make someone feel criticized.

Example:

  • My classmate tried to put me down because I answered the question wrong.

The third meaning of to put down is to euthanize an animal due to poor health or old age.

Example:

  • Unfortunately, we had to put down our dog because it was so old and very sick.

#7 Put down as

Put down as meaning: similar to put down, it means to think about a person in a certain way without knowing if it’s actually true.

Example:

  • I saw you play the guitar so I put you down as a musician.
  • She was being angry for no reason so I put her down as a mean person.

#8 Put down for

Put down for meaning: to write yours or someone else’s name on a piece of paper, usually an invitation or registration form.

Example:

  • I put down our names for a study group registration.
  • Let’s put down our names for a charity concert!

#9 Put forward

Put forward meaning: to suggest or propose an idea or a plan for someone to consider.

Example:

  • He was put forward as a candidate for this job.
  • I put forward my ideas to our manager, but he rejected them.

#10 Put forth

Put forth is a phrasal verb with put that is synonymous with put forward, meaning to offer an idea for consideration.

Example:

  • On a law exam, students must put forth their arguments very clearly.
  • This politician put forth a very convincing campaign.

phrasal verb with put

#11 Put up

Put up meaning: to raise something or fix an object in a raised position.

Example:

  • I put my hair up in a ponytail when I work out.

The second meaning of put up is to build something.

Example:

  • They put up a fence around their house so that nobody could get in.

The last meaning of this put phrasal verb is to show a certain level of resistance.

Example:

  • When the intruders came into our house, we had to put up a fight before the police could arrive.

#12 Put up to

Put up to meaning: to put someone up is to encourage them to act in a foolish manner.

Example:

  • He put me up to pranking a teacher and now I’m in detention.
  • Older brothers usually put their younger siblings up to something stupid.

#13 Put up with

Put up with meaning: to tolerate or accept a situation or a person you find unpleasant.

Example:

  • I put up with my mother-in-law’s awful behavior towards me for years.
  • If you can’t put up with my personality, then we shouldn’t be friends.

#14 Put up a front

Put up a front meaning: to present yourself in a deceptive or guarded manner.

Example:

  • He was putting up a front of a nice guy the whole date.
  • She managed to put up a front, but it was obvious that her feelings were hurt.

#15 Put in

Put in meaning: to include something or place it in a particular spot.

Example:

  • I put in a bid for an antique sculpture that I really like.

Another meaning of phrasal verbs with put in is to put time and effort into achieving a desired result.

Example:

  • She was putting in hours into writing her diploma to get the best grade possible.

#16 Put into

One of the similar phrasal verbs starting with put, the meaning of put into is to invest time, effort, or money into something.

Example:

  • I put all my savings into opening up my own business.
  • If you put more enthusiasm into your work, you could get a promotion faster.

put phrasal verb

#17 Put in for

Put in for meaning: to make an official or formal request to do something.

Example:

  • He put in for a week-long vacation.
  • Me and my business partner put in for a major grant to jump-start our company.

#18 Put into practice

Put into practice meaning: to use advice, idea, or a plan in an actual situation.

Example:

  • Jenny gave me an interesting idea, so I had to put it into practice.
  • Your theory sounds fun, but what would happen if we actually put it into practice?

#19 Put on

Put on meaning: to cover the body with a piece of clothing, jewelry, make-up, etc.

Example:

  • My doctor advised me to put on a facial cream before going to bed.

Alternatively, this phrasal verb with put can also mean to make a machine or a device start working. Usually used to turn on the music.

Example:

  • Can you put the radio on, please?

#20 Put off

Put off meaning: to delay or hold back something for a later time, especially because you don’t want to do it.

Example:

  • I’ve been putting off writing my graduation speech, because I don’t know what to say.
  • You have to stop putting off important decisions about your life.

#21 Put over

Put over meaning: similar to other put phrasal verbs like “put across”, to put over means to express an idea clear enough for people to understand.

Example:

  • She was demonstrating her presentation, but I’m afraid she didn’t put her concepts over.

Another meaning of putting over is to trick someone into thinking something is true, when it isn’t.

Example:

  • He put me over on the fact that I was fired!

#22 Put (it) past

Put past meaning: to not put past something means to not be surprised if someone acted in a bad way.

Example:

  • I wouldn’t put it past him to lie about his career.
  • Don’t put it past that he might not show up on a date.

#23 Put together

Put together meaning: to assemble pieces in the appropriate places to make something work.

Example:

  • I finally put together that confusing shelf from IKEA!

Also, to put together means to gather a group of people for a certain purpose.

Example:

  • We put together a team of specialists to work on this project.

put phrasal verbs

#24 Put towards

Put towards meaning: to allocate a certain amount of money in order to purchase something.

Example:

  • My dad gave me some money to put towards buying a new computer.
  • I will split my paycheck next month to go towards bills.

#25 Put through

Put through meaning: putting someone through means forcing them to experience an unpleasant situation.

Example:

  • I’m very sorry that I put my ex-husband through a difficult divorce.

One more meaning of this phrasal verb with put is when you make a call and reach the other person.

Example:

  • I called the customer service to talk to the manager, but they refused to put me through.

Summarizing 25 phrasal verbs with put

The goal of every student who wants to learn English is to speak like a native speaker. Phrasal verbs are the kind of instrument that allows us to construct sentences in a way that sounds the most natural. This is why it’s important to make an effort to learn all the different types of them, like phrasal verbs with take, for instance.

Beside put phrasal verbs, there are a lot of verbs that can be combined with other parts of speech to create these unique sentences. With that being said, it’s best to tackle new information one subject at a time. In this article, we focused on explaining 25 put phrasal verbs and how to implement them in real-life situations.

Be sure to practice your English daily and put effort into learning new words and phrases!