put // verb, noun

■ verb (putting, put, put)

IDIOMS

put sb through it (especially BrE) (informal)

to force sb to experience sth difficult or unpleasant:

They really put me through it

(= asked me difficult questions) at the interview.

put sth/itself up for sale/auction

to make sth available to be bought:

No one wanted to buy the company when it put itself up for sale last year.

Creditors demanded that the assets should be put up for auction.

ACTION noun, BLOCK noun, MARKER, RECORD noun

PHRASAL VERBS

put yourself/sth across/over (to sb)

to communicate your ideas, feelings, etc. successfully to sb:

She puts her ideas across very well.

put sth aside (also put sth by, especially in BrE)

to save money:

People are not putting enough money aside for when they retire.

Savers who have put aside $250 a month for five years will receive $49 000.

put sth at sth

to calculate sb/sth to be a particular age, weight, amount, etc:

The damage to the building is put at over $1 million.

put sth away

to save money to spend later:

Parents are putting away sizeable sums for the future education of their children.

Most people prefer to spend their money than put it away for twenty or thirty years.

put sth back

1

to move sth to a later time or date:

The meeting has been put back to next week.

See note at POSTPONE

2

to cause sth to be delayed:

Poor trading figures put back our plans for expansion.

put sth by

= PUT STH ASIDE

put sth down

1

to pay part of the cost of sth:

House buyers need to put down a deposit of around 5%.

2

to lower or reduce sth:

If demand is poor, you put your prices down, not up.

3

to write sth; to make a note of sth:

The meeting's on the 22nd. Put it down in your diary.

put yourself/sb/sth forward

to suggest yourself/sb as a candidate for a job or position:

Her name was put forward by the committee.

Some people need to be encouraged to put themselves forward for senior posts.

He had been put forward as a potential party leader.

put sth forward

to suggest sth for discussion:

None of the proposals put forward by the union has been accepted.

The company has put forward a plan to invest $1.5 million in the plant.

put sth in

1

to officially make a claim, request, etc:

The company has put in a claim for damages.

They are reported to have put in an offer of $40 million.

SYN SUBMIT

2 (also put sth into sth)

to spend a lot of time or work very hard at doing sth:

She often puts in twelve hours' work a day.

Companies have to put considerable effort into protecting their computer systems.

3 (also put sth into sth)

to use or give money:

They put $80 000 of their own money into the business.

put in for sth (especially BrE)

to officially ask for sth:

Perhaps I should put in for a rise.

He decided at the last minute to put in for the job.

put sth into sth

= PUT STH IN (2,3)

put sb off

to cancel a meeting or an arrangement that you have made with sb:

It's too late to put them off now.

We'll have to put him off-I've got too much work to do.

See note at POSTPONE

put sth off

to change sth to a later time or date:

The announcement was put off until the end of the week.

The Bank will put off raising interest rates until later in the year.

We cannot put the decision off much longer.

put sth on sth

to add an amount of money or a tax to the cost of sth:

The tax would put an extra €70 on the price of a single ticket.

They put another six cents on their share price today.

put sth out

1

to produce sth, especially for sale:

The plant puts out 500 new cars a week. See note at PRODUCE

2

to give a job or task to a worker who is not your employee or to a company that is not part of your own group or organization:

A lot of the work is put out to freelancers.

put yourself/sb/sth over (to sb)

= PUT YOURSELF/STH ACROSS (TO SB)

put sth through

to continue with and complete a plan or activity:

We managed to put the deal through.

put sb through (to sb/sth)

to connect sb by telephone:

Could you put me through to the accounts department, please?

Ask to speak to the manager and make it clear that you expect to be put through.

put sth to sb

to offer a suggestion to sb so that they can accept or reject it:

Your proposal will be put to the board of directors.

put sth together

to create or prepare sth:

They put the report together in just two weeks.

It takes a team of people to put together a campaign.

put sth towards sth

to give money to pay part of the cost of sth:

Twenty per cent of the tax is put towards local environmental schemes.

put sth up

1

to raise or increase sth:

When they put up the rent, we had to find new premises.

If demand is high, you can put your prices up.

2

to provide or lend money:

The six investors each put up $105 000 to start the business.

A syndicate of banks put the money up. See note at FINANCE

3

to promise a particular asset to sb who is lending you money if you do not pay back the loan:

You may have to put up your home as collateral.

4

to fix sth in a place where it will be seen:

to put up a poster/an ad

SYN DISPLAY

■ noun [C]

(Finance ) = PUT OPTION

• EOC
• E&OE
• EoI
• EOQ
• EPOS
• e-procurement
• EPS
• EQ
• equal
• Equal Employment Opportunities Commission
• equal employment opportunity
• equality
• Equal Opportunities Commission
• equal opportunity
• equal pay
• equation
• equilibrium
• equilibrium price
• equilibrium quantity
• specialist
• speciality
• specialize
• specialized
• special leave
• special offer