ENGLISH
REFERENCE

put up

idiom
Meaning

To cajole or dare (someone) to do (something).


Examples
SIMPLE

He put me up to asking her out.

CONTEXTUAL

My friends put me up to calling in sick so we could go to the beach.

COMPLEX

She suspected her rival had put the naive intern up to leaking the documents, though neither would admit it.

Anchors to
Related idioms8entries
  1. 01

    not to put too fine a point on it

    Used to apologize for a possibly impolite statement one is making; to put it bluntly; to express it in plain terms.

  2. 02

    put a band-aid on a bullet wound

    To inadequately treat a serious situation.

  3. 03

    put a blanket over

    Make (something) seem less serious.

  4. 04

    put a bug in someone's ear

    To make a small suggestion or give a hint that causes the listener to act.

  5. 05

    put a damper on

    To stop people from enjoying an activity.

  6. 06

    put a foot wrong

    To make a mistake.

  7. 07

    put a gun to someone's head

    To compel someone (to do something); to create a situation in which someone has no alternative course of action.

  8. 08

    put a hat on a hat

    To do something unnecessary, to go over the top

Last updated April 17, 2026