put up
phrasal verb·6 senses·particle up
Meanings
Raise or lift
Why “up”? A person or thing moves from a lower place or position to a higher one.
“Put your hands up.”
“Security put the barrier up, letting Maya and Leo approach the club door.”
“He put a hand up to ask a question.”
Provide accommodation
Why “up”? A person or thing receives help so they do not fall, fail, or lose something important. It can also mean accepting a burden.
“Can you put me up for the night?”
“A friend put us up in Boston.”
“They kindly put up the whole wedding party.”
Tolerate (put up with)
“I can't put up with the noise.”
“She puts up with rude customers.”
“How do you put up with that long commute every day?”
Erect or construct
Why “up”? A new thing appears or is made.
“They put up a new fence yesterday.”
“Workers put up a tent for the school fair.”
Display a notice, poster or sign in a public place
Why “up”? A person, thing, signal, idea, or truth becomes present, visible, active, or known.
“They put up posters all over the campus.”
“They put up warning signs by the river.”
“She put up a sign saying 'Beware of the dog'.”
Increase a price, rate or value
Why “up”? More of something is higher. Quantity, intensity and speed all rise.
“The bag shop put its prices up before Maya and Leo's shopping trip.”
“The bank put up its interest rate.”
“Don't put the rent up again.”
Memory hook
You hold the annoyance up, carrying it instead of dropping it — you put up with it.
Common mistake
I can't put up the noise.
I can't put up with the noise.
To tolerate something, you need all three words: put up with.
Natural collocations
The word partners “put up” most often appears with — learn the phrase, not just the verb.
Don't confuse with
Test yourself
“Put your hands up.” What does it mean?
Nearby in the meaning map
Sink In connects verbs by particle pattern, contrast pairs, and shared base verbs.
put down
A contrast learners often mix up
Place on a surface; Insult or belittle someone; Euthanize an animal; Commit to writing
put out
A contrast learners often mix up
Extinguish a fire or light; Publish or broadcast; Inconvenience someone
back up
Same up pattern: support
Make a digital copy of data as a safeguard; Support someone's claim, story or position; Move backward along the same path; (of traffic or water) accumulate because flow is blocked
beef up
Same up pattern: increase
Strengthen or reinforce
blow up
Same up pattern: appearance
Explode or be destroyed by an explosion; Inflate something by filling it with air; Suddenly become very angry; Enlarge a photograph or image; (of a storm or argument) develop quickly into something serious
bring up
Same up pattern: appearance
Mention or raise a topic
build up
Same up pattern: increase
Gradually increase in amount, strength or intensity; Develop or strengthen something over time; Make someone or something seem more important or impressive than they are; Encourage or strengthen someone emotionally; Create momentum towards a moment or event
call up
Same up pattern: appearance
Telephone someone; Order someone to join military service; Display information on a screen or computer; Bring a memory or feeling vividly to mind; Select a player for a higher-level team
Tell it apart
Side-by-side comparisons with the verbs learners most often confuse for “put up”.
Sink In — iOS & Android
Practice “put up” in Sink In
Drill “put up” and 1,300+ other phrasal verbs with spaced repetition, organised by the particle patterns that connect them.
- Learn the pattern behind dozens of verbs at once — not one-off translations.
- Spaced repetition (SM-2) brings each meaning back right before you forget.
- Four practice modes train recall and discrimination, not just recognition.
