Meaning & use
puts on ice
Last updated
Meanings
phrasetransitivefigurative
Delays or suspends a plan, deal, or activity for a period, leaving it for later.
Grammar: Takes an object: someone puts a plan on ice. The object usually comes between 'puts' and 'on ice'.
Patterns
- puts something on ice
- puts a plan/deal/project on ice
- puts something on ice for now
The company puts the new factory on ice until sales improve.
She puts her wedding plans on ice while she finishes her degree.
The council puts the road project on ice for another year.
phrasetransitive
Preserves something, especially food or drink, by storing it at a very low temperature.
Grammar: Takes an object; here 'on ice' is literal, so the object is something you want to keep cold.
Patterns
- puts something on ice
- puts fish/meat/drinks on ice
He puts the champagne on ice before the guests arrive.
The fishmonger puts the fresh catch on ice straight away.
phrasetransitivesport
Keeps a sports player out of the game for a period, usually because of injury or as a punishment.
Grammar: Takes an object, usually a person or a team; common in sports reporting.
Patterns
- puts someone on ice
- puts a player on ice
The coach puts the injured striker on ice for the rest of the season.
After the argument, the manager puts the young defender on ice for two games.
Word forms
| base form | put on ice |
|---|---|
| past tense | put on ice |
| past participle | put on ice |
| -ing form | putting on ice |
| third person singular | puts on ice |
Common combinations
- put a plan on ice
- They put the expansion plan on ice until the market recovers.
- put a deal on ice
- The two firms put the deal on ice after the scandal.
- put something on ice for now
- Let's put the discussion on ice for now and talk again next month.
- put a project on ice
- The museum put the renovation project on ice because of the costs.
- put something on ice indefinitely
- The talks were put on ice indefinitely.
Synonyms and how they differ
- shelve
- 'Shelve' also means to stop working on a plan, but it suggests the plan may never be picked up again, while 'puts on ice' often hints at a temporary pause.
- postpone
- 'Postpone' means to move something to a later time, usually a specific one; 'puts on ice' is vaguer and suggests no clear restart date.
- suspend
- 'Suspend' is more formal and often used for official rules, jobs, or services, whereas 'puts on ice' is more informal and image-based.
- put on hold
- This is a very close everyday equivalent; 'put on hold' is more common in speech, while 'puts on ice' sounds a little more vivid.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: puts on ice or on thin ice? puts on ice or put on hold?
puts on ice vs on thin ice
This is a different idiom: it means being in a risky position where you may get into trouble, not delaying something.
puts on ice vs put on hold
Very similar in meaning to 'puts on ice', but 'on hold' is also used for waiting on the phone, while 'on ice' is not.
Practice
The board decided to ___ the merger until next year because of the weak economy.
Choose one answer.
'Put on ice' means to delay a plan or deal, which fits a merger being postponed. 'Put on thin ice' is wrong because 'on thin ice' describes a risky situation, not a delay. 'Put on hold of' is ungrammatical, and 'ice up' means to become covered with ice.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “puts on ice”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.