# put

/ˈpʊt/ (US)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/put
Updated: 2026-06-16

## Senses

### 1. to physically place

verb · CEFR A1

to move something into a specific place or position.

For teachers: to move or place something in a particular physical location. Transitive; requires both a direct object and a locative complement.

- Please put your dirty dishes in the sink when you finish eating.
- The curator carefully put the fragile manuscript back into its climate-controlled display case after the inspection was complete.

### 2. to change a state

verb · CEFR A2

to cause someone or something to be in a certain situation or feeling.

For teachers: to bring someone or something into a particular state, relation, or condition.

- The loud music put the baby in a bad mood.
- The sudden change in interest rates put the entire housing project at risk of financial failure.

### 3. to express in words

verb · CEFR B1

to say or write something in a particular way.

For teachers: to express or state something using a specific choice of words or style.

- I am not sure how to put this, but I think we should leave.
- To put it bluntly, the company cannot afford to continue its current level of spending without new investment.

### 4. to estimate

verb · CEFR B2

to guess a number, value, or amount.

For teachers: to assign a value, figure, or estimate to something.

- Experts put the cost of the repairs at over five thousand dollars.
- Historians put the date of the temple's construction at roughly three centuries before the common era.

### 5. to throw (shot put)

verb · CEFR B2 · Technical

to throw a heavy ball as far as possible in a sports competition.

For teachers: to throw a heavy metal ball with a pushing motion from the shoulder as an athletic exercise.

- She managed to put the shot further than any other student in her class.
- The athlete focused on his footwork before attempting to put the shot during the final round of the championship.

### 6. finance option

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

a contract that gives you the right to sell something at a fixed price.

For teachers: an option contract giving the owner the right, but not the obligation, to sell a specified amount of an underlying security at a specified price within a specified time.

- He bought a put to protect his investment in case the stock price fell.
- The investor utilised a series of puts to hedge against potential volatility in the technology sector during the upcoming earnings season.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.