Meaning & use
puts
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“puts” is a form of “put”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
verbtransitive
Moves something into a particular place or position.
Grammar: Needs an object and a place: she puts the keys on the table.
Patterns
- someone puts something somewhere
- someone puts something in something
He puts his bag under the desk every morning.
She puts sugar in her tea.
The teacher puts the books on the shelf.
verbtransitive
Causes someone or something to be in a certain state or situation.
Grammar: Often followed by an object and a state: this puts me in a difficult position.
Patterns
- something puts someone in a position
- something puts someone at risk
The decision puts the team under pressure.
Smoking puts people at risk of heart disease.
This news puts everything in a new light.
verbtransitive
Expresses something in words in a particular way.
Grammar: Often with it: as she puts it.
Patterns
- someone puts something into words
- as someone puts it
He puts his ideas clearly in the report.
She puts it simply: we need more time.
The author puts feelings into words beautifully.
Word forms
| base form | put |
|---|---|
| past tense | put |
| past participle | put |
| -ing form | putting |
Common combinations
- puts pressure on
- The deadline puts pressure on everyone.
- puts someone at ease
- Her smile puts guests at ease.
- puts a stop to
- The new rule puts a stop to late arrivals.
- puts effort into
- He puts a lot of effort into his work.
- puts something off
- She always puts off phone calls.
Synonyms and how they differ
- places
- Places is more formal and careful, suggesting a deliberate position, whereas puts is general.
- sets
- Sets suggests putting something down in a fixed position, often gently or exactly.
- lays
- Lays is used for things placed flat, like a cloth or a book.
- states
- States fits the speech sense only and is more formal than puts.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: puts or puts?
puts vs puts
Do not confuse with putts, which are golf strokes on the green; both sound the same in speech.
Practice
She always ______ her phone in her bag before the meeting starts.
Choose one answer.
With she, a present habit needs the third person singular puts. Put is the base form, and putted is not the verb's past form.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “puts”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.