English Reference

Phrasal verb

put sth up

Definition

phrasal verb. to attach something to a wall or build a temporary structure so people can see or use it.

phrasal verb. to erect a structure or to affix an object to a vertical surface for display or utility; transitive and often separable.

Examples

“We need to put some pictures up in the hallway.”

“The local council decided to put up a new fence around the park to keep the dogs safe.”

“After the storm damaged the original signage, the shopkeeper had to put up a temporary banner to inform customers they were still open.”

Examples

simple

“We need to put some pictures up in the hallway.”

contextual

“The local council decided to put up a new fence around the park to keep the dogs safe.”

complex

“After the storm damaged the original signage, the shopkeeper had to put up a temporary banner to inform customers they were still open.”

Usage

commonly used with objects like posters, shelves, tents, or signs.

Teaching tip

contrast with 'take down'; this phrasal verb is highly productive and covers both 'building' (a tent) and 'hanging' (a painting).

Pitfall

He put up it on the wall.

He put it up on the wall.

when the object is a pronoun like 'it', it must go between the verb and the particle.

Phrasal verb

Particles

up

Separability

optional

Pattern

put + object + up

Synonyms

Antonyms

take downdismantleremove

Grammar

This entry

Level
B1 · Intermediate
Updated

Scan code

englishreference.com/q/put-sth-up

English Reference