put down

phrasal verb·5 senses·particle down

Meanings

1

Place on a surface

Downward

Why “down”? Movement goes from high to low.

“Put the box down on the table.”
Set the box down on top of the table.
“She put her cup down beside the sink.”
She placed her cup beside the sink.
“He put the phone down and walked away.”
He set the phone down on the surface and walked off.
2

Insult or belittle someone

Losing

Why “down”? A structure, a system, or someone's mood can go down when it fails.

“Stop putting yourself down.”
Stop being so critical of your own worth.
“The coach put the player down in front of the team.”
The coach spoke about the player in an insulting way.
“Don't put her down. She did her best.”
Don't criticise her. She gave it her best effort.
3

Euthanize an animal

Losingrare
“The vet had to put the dog down.”
The vet had to humanely end the dog's life.
“They put the injured horse down.”
They ended the injured horse's life to stop its suffering.
“It broke her heart to put her cat down last week.”
It was heartbreaking when she had her cat euthanised last week.
4

Place something on a surface

Downward
“Put the bag down by the door.”
Set the bag on the floor next to the door.
“He put his keys down on the shelf.”
He placed his keys on the shelf.
5

Commit to writing

Writinguncommon

Why “down”? Words go down onto the page. Written words are kept.

“Put down whatever comes to mind.”
Write down whatever comes into your head.
“He put his thoughts down in a diary.”
He wrote his thoughts in a diary.

Don't confuse with

put downput up

Put down means place on a surface. Put up means raise or lift.

Test yourself

“Put the box down on the table.” What does it mean?

Nearby in the meaning map

Sink In connects verbs by particle pattern, contrast pairs, and shared base verbs.

put up

A contrast learners often mix up

Raise or lift; Provide accommodation; Tolerate (put up with); Erect or construct; Display a notice, poster or sign in a public place; Increase a price, rate or value

back down

Same down pattern: losing

Withdraw from a position

bear down

Same down pattern: downward

Move quickly and threateningly toward someone

beat down

Same down pattern: downward

(of sun or rain) fall strongly and steadily

bend down

Same down pattern: downward

Lean the upper body downward

blow down

Same down pattern: downward

Cause something to fall by blowing

break down

Same down pattern: losing

(of a vehicle or machine) stop working; Lose emotional control and start crying; Separate something into smaller parts to understand it; (of negotiations or relationships) fail or end; Force a door open by hitting it; Decompose into simpler chemical substances

bring down

Same down pattern: downward

Cause something to fall or land; Make something lower in level or amount; Cause a government or leader to lose power; Make someone feel sad or depressed

Tell it apart

Side-by-side comparisons with the verbs learners most often confuse for “put down”.

put down vs put up

Practice “put down” in Sink In

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