put aside

2 meanings

Meanings
  1. 1 save money or time for a special purpose B2
  2. 2 ignore or forget differences or feelings for now B2
1 put sth aside

save money or time for a special purpose

B2

What does "put aside" mean in this sense?

To put aside money or time means to deliberately keep a portion of it for a specific future purpose. The idea is that you are reserving something now so it will be available when you need it later — for example, saving part of your salary every month for a holiday or a deposit on a flat. This phrasal verb often suggests a regular habit rather than a one-off action, which is why it frequently appears with time expressions like 'each month' or 'every week'. It is also typically followed by 'for' to explain what the money or time is being saved for. The phrase is equally comfortable in conversation, financial advice articles, and budgeting guides.

Examples

How to use it

put + amount + aside + for + purpose

The most common structure — the object (money or time) sits between 'put' and 'aside', and 'for' introduces the goal.

He puts £100 aside every month for a rainy day.

put + pronoun + aside

With pronouns, separation is obligatory — the pronoun must go between 'put' and 'aside'.

I get a bonus in December, so I put it aside for the new year.

put aside + longer noun phrase

With longer or more complex noun phrases, placing the object after 'aside' can sound more natural.

She puts aside a small percentage of everything she earns.

passive: be put aside + for + purpose

The passive is possible, especially in instructional or formal financial contexts, though active forms are far more common.

A portion of each salary should be put aside for unexpected costs.

infinitive: try to put aside / manage to put aside

The infinitive form is common in advice, instructions, and statements about goals or intentions.

Try to put aside at least 10% of your income before you pay any bills.

Common Collocations

moneytimea portionsavingsfundsa little

Common Mistakes

Pronoun after the particle

When the object is a pronoun, it must go between 'put' and 'aside' — placing it after 'aside' is ungrammatical.

✗ I received a refund, so I put aside it for later.
✓ I received a refund, so I put it aside for later.
Confusing 'put aside' with 'set aside'

'Set aside' is a near-synonym but tends to sound slightly more formal and is more common in written or official documents. In everyday spoken English, 'put aside' is the more natural choice, though in most contexts either will work.

Using 'put aside' for abstract objects in this sense

In this saving/reserving sense, the object should be a concrete resource like money or time. Using abstract objects like 'differences' or 'feelings' signals a completely different meaning of 'put aside' and will confuse the listener.

✗ We put aside our project budget for the meeting. (meaning: ignored it)
✓ We put a budget aside for the project. (meaning: reserved money for it)

Usage

This phrasal verb is neutral in register and equally common in spoken and written English. It often implies a regular habit and is typically followed by 'for' to indicate the purpose (e.g. 'put aside money for emergencies').

2 put sth aside

ignore or forget differences or feelings for now

B2

Sense 2: What does "put sth aside" mean?

To put aside differences or feelings means to make a conscious decision to stop letting them get in the way, at least for now. It describes a deliberate, often cooperative act — two rivals choosing not to let their history affect the task at hand, or a team agreeing to focus on results rather than personal tensions. The key idea is that the feelings haven't disappeared; they've simply been suspended so that something more important can happen. This phrase is especially common in journalism, politics, and business writing, often describing groups that need to cooperate despite disagreements. The object is almost always something abstract and interpersonal — differences, pride, grievances, ego — rather than anything physical.

Examples

How to use it

put aside + abstract noun

The most common structure: the object is an abstract interpersonal noun such as differences, feelings, pride, or ego.

The two teams put aside their rivalry and collaborated on the pitch.

put + object + aside

Separation is very natural and often preferred, especially when you want to place emphasis on what is being set aside.

She put her personal feelings aside and delivered an honest assessment.

put + pronoun + aside

With pronoun objects like 'it' or 'them', separation is obligatory — the pronoun must go between the verb and the particle.

There was a lot of tension between them, but they managed to put it aside for the sake of the project.

need to / must / should + put aside

This phrasal verb frequently appears after modal-like expressions urging cooperation or conflict resolution.

If we want to make progress, we need to put aside our disagreements and focus on shared goals.

imperative: put aside + noun

The imperative is very common in persuasive or motivational contexts, urging people to cooperate.

Put aside your differences and listen to what the other side is actually saying.

Common Collocations

differencespersonal feelingsgrievancespriderivalrypolitics

Common Mistakes

Confusing the two senses of 'put aside'

'Put aside' has a separate meaning — to save or reserve something, like money or time. When the object is abstract and interpersonal (differences, pride, grievances), it means to temporarily ignore. If you can replace 'put aside' with 'save', you're probably using the wrong sense.

✗ They put aside their differences in a bank account for later.
✓ They put aside their differences and agreed to cooperate.
Pronoun placed after the particle

When the object is a pronoun like 'it' or 'them', it must go between 'put' and 'aside', not after the particle.

✗ There was a lot of tension, but they put aside it.
✓ There was a lot of tension, but they put it aside.
Using 'push aside' when you mean 'put aside'

'Push aside' suggests a more forceful or even permanent dismissal, whereas 'put aside' implies a deliberate, cooperative, and temporary decision to suspend something. They are not freely interchangeable.

✗ The two leaders pushed aside their differences to sign the agreement.
✓ The two leaders put aside their differences to sign the agreement.

Usage

This phrasal verb is neutral in register and works in both spoken and written English. It is especially common in journalism and political contexts. The fixed phrase 'put aside their differences' is very idiomatic and widely used.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does 'put aside' always need 'for' after it?

Not always, but 'for' is very common because it specifies the purpose of saving. You might say 'I put aside £50 each week' without mentioning the purpose if it's already understood from context. However, adding 'for' — as in 'put aside money for a deposit' — makes your meaning clearer and is the more typical pattern.

Can I use 'put aside' for time as well as money?

Yes, 'put aside' works with both money and time. You can say 'put aside an hour each evening to study' in exactly the same way as 'put aside £50 a month to save'. The key idea in both cases is deliberately reserving a resource for a specific future purpose.

Does 'put aside' suggest I do this regularly, or can it be a one-time action?

It can describe both, but 'put aside' very often implies a regular habit — it frequently appears with expressions like 'each month', 'every week', or 'regularly'. A one-time action is also possible ('she put aside £500 from her bonus'), but the regular, habitual use is more characteristic of this phrasal verb.

Is 'put aside' the same as 'save up'?

'Put aside' and 'save up' are related but not identical. 'Save up' focuses on accumulating a total amount toward a goal, whereas 'put aside' emphasises the deliberate, repeated act of reserving a portion of your money or time. You might 'put aside' money each month as part of a plan to 'save up' for a car.

Can 'put aside' be used in the passive?

Yes, the passive is possible, especially in formal or instructional writing — for example, 'A percentage of the budget should be put aside for contingencies.' That said, the active form is much more common in everyday speech and writing, since the focus is usually on the person doing the saving.

Does 'put aside' always mean something is only temporary?

In this sense, yes — the idea is that you're suspending the feeling or disagreement, not eliminating it permanently. The phrase suggests a pragmatic choice to move forward despite unresolved tensions, which is why it's so common in contexts like diplomacy and teamwork.

Can I use 'put aside' in the passive, like 'their differences were put aside'?

It's grammatically possible but sounds unnatural. The active form is strongly preferred because the focus is on the people making the conscious decision — 'they put aside their differences' keeps the agency clear and sounds much more natural.

Can I say 'they are putting aside their differences' or 'she was putting aside her pride'?

These continuous forms sound awkward because 'put aside' in this sense describes a decision or act, not an ongoing process. It's much more natural to use the simple past, present simple, or an infinitive construction — for example, 'they put aside their differences' or 'she had to put aside her pride'.

Is 'put aside their differences' a fixed expression?

It's very close to one — it's an extremely common and idiomatic phrase that appears constantly in journalism, political reporting, and everyday speech. While you can swap in other objects (feelings, ego, grievances), 'put aside their differences' is by far the most frequent combination and sounds completely natural in almost any context.

What kinds of things can follow 'put aside' in this sense?

The object is almost always something abstract and interpersonal — words like differences, feelings, pride, ego, grievances, rivalry, hostility, prejudices, or politics. If the object is something concrete or physical, like money or a book, 'put aside' is being used in a completely different sense (to save or reserve something).

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