put up
5 meanings
fix something to a wall or board so people can see it
What does "put up" mean in this sense?
Examples
- They put up several posters around the classroom.
- The council put the new road signs up last week.
- Have you put up the Christmas decorations yet?
How to use it
The most common pattern, used when the object is a noun phrase placed after 'up'.
The café put up a sign in the window about the new opening hours.
With short noun objects, it's very natural to place them between 'put' and 'up' — this is the most common spoken pattern.
We put some posters up in the hallway before the event.
When the object is a pronoun, it must always go between 'put' and 'up' — it cannot follow 'up'.
I printed the flyers — can you put them up around the office?
The passive form is natural when you want to focus on the thing being displayed rather than who displayed it.
A large banner was put up outside the community centre for the festival.
You can add a phrase explaining why something is being put up, often referring to an event or occasion.
They put up fairy lights for the street party.
Common Collocations
Common Mistakes
When the object is a pronoun (it, them, etc.), it must go between 'put' and 'up'. Placing it after 'up' is a grammatical error.
'Hang up' specifically means to suspend something from a hook or hanger, while 'put up' is more general and is the better choice for things fixed to walls, windows, or noticeboards.
'Put up' has several different meanings depending on the context. This sense — fixing something to a surface so it can be seen — needs a physical, visible object like a poster or sign. Adding 'with' after 'up' changes the meaning entirely (it means to tolerate something), and using a person as the object means you're talking about providing accommodation.
Usage
This is a neutral, everyday phrasal verb used in both spoken and written English. It works for both temporary displays (posters, decorations) and more permanent fixtures (shelves, curtains), making it very versatile.
build or attach something so it stands up (a sign, a shelf, a tent)
Sense 2: What does "put sth up" mean?
Examples
- They're putting up a new fence along the garden boundary.
- We put all the shelves up before the guests arrived.
- A memorial plaque was put up outside the old town hall.
How to use it
The most common pattern — use it with a physical structure or fixture as the object.
The council decided to put up a wall along the edge of the road.
With short noun objects, separation is very natural and common in everyday speech.
We need to put a tent up before it gets dark.
When using a pronoun, it must always go between the verb and particle — never after 'up'.
The shelves were delivered this morning, so we put them up straight away.
The passive form is very natural when the focus is on the structure itself rather than who built or installed it.
A new barrier was put up outside the entrance to the car park.
Common Collocations
Common Mistakes
When the object is a pronoun like 'it' or 'them', it must go between 'put' and 'up'. Placing it after 'up' is always wrong.
'Put up' means to erect or fix something structurally in place, like a fence or scaffolding. 'Set up' usually means to assemble something temporarily or to establish a system or organisation — it doesn't work for structures like walls or fences.
'Put up' has several different meanings. This sense is only about building or erecting physical structures. If the object is a person, a price, or is followed by 'with', it's a completely different meaning.
Usage
This phrasal verb is neutral and works in both spoken and written English. It is slightly more informal than 'erect' or 'install', making it the natural choice in everyday conversation.
accept something unpleasant without complaining
Sense 3: What does "put up with sth" mean?
Examples
- She has put up with his bad moods for years, but she's finally had enough.
- How do you put up with all that noise from the neighbours?
- I'm not going to put up with being treated like this any longer.
How to use it
The most common pattern — the object (a person, thing, or situation) always comes directly after 'with'.
I don't know how she puts up with all that noise every day.
Negative constructions with modal verbs are especially frequent, often signalling that someone's patience has run out.
He said he won't put up with rudeness from customers any longer.
When the object is a verb idea, use a gerund phrase starting with 'being' — never a 'that'-clause directly after 'with'.
I can't put up with being kept waiting every single meeting.
Questions with 'how' are very natural and express surprise at someone else's patience.
How do you put up with your boss's constant complaints?
The present perfect is commonly used to show that the tolerance has been going on for a long time.
She has put up with the long commute for two years, but she's thinking of moving.
Common Collocations
Common Mistakes
After 'put up with', you cannot use a 'that'-clause. If you want to describe a verb idea, use a gerund ('being + past participle' or an '-ing' noun).
'Put up with' is a fixed three-part phrase — you can never drop 'with' or place anything between the three words. The object must always come after 'with', including pronouns.
'Get on with someone' means you have a good, easy relationship with them. 'Put up with someone' means you merely tolerate them despite finding them difficult — it suggests a negative feeling, not a positive one.
Usage
This phrasal verb is neutral and works in both British and American English. It is more common in spoken and informal contexts than the single-word synonym 'tolerate', which sounds more formal or written.
raise the price or cost of something
Sense 4: What does "put sth up" mean?
Examples
- The landlord has put up the rent by £100 a month.
- They put all their prices up just before Christmas.
- Why do energy companies always put up their rates in winter?
How to use it
The most common pattern, with the object following the particle. Used when the object is a longer noun phrase.
The government has decided to put up income taxes for higher earners.
Separation is very natural with short noun phrases and is often the preferred word order in everyday speech.
The café put its prices up after the cost of ingredients increased.
When the object is a pronoun, separation is obligatory — the pronoun must go between the verb and the particle.
Energy bills were already high, but the supplier put them up again in January.
A 'by' phrase is often added to specify how much the price has increased, making the sentence feel more precise and natural.
The landlord put up the rent by £75 a month, which came as a real shock.
The passive is common in news and consumer contexts, especially when the agent — the company or institution raising the price — is less important than the fact of the increase.
Bus fares have been put up for the third time this year.
Common Collocations
Common Mistakes
'Put up' is transitive and requires an agent — a person, company, or institution — who is actively raising the price. 'Go up' is intransitive and describes prices rising without specifying who is responsible. These are not interchangeable.
When the object is a pronoun like 'it' or 'them', it must go between 'put' and 'up', not after the particle.
In this sense, 'put up' only works with price-related objects such as rent, fares, fees, or taxes. Using it with a physical object will change the meaning entirely — for example, 'put up a poster' means to attach it to a wall, not to raise its price.
Usage
This phrasal verb is more common in British English than American English, where 'raise' or 'hike' are preferred. It is neutral in register and works well in both spoken conversation and written news articles.
let someone stay in your home for a short time
Sense 5: What does "put sb up" mean?
Examples
- Can you put me up for the night? All the hotels in town are fully booked.
- My aunt put us up for a week while our flat was being renovated.
- We were happy to put up our colleague when she came to visit for the conference.
How to use it
The most common form, with the person being hosted placed between 'put' and 'up'. Pronouns are especially natural here.
My brother put me up for a few nights after I moved out of my old place.
The unseparated form is also correct, though slightly less common in casual speech than the separated version.
They offered to put up any colleagues who couldn't get a hotel room.
A duration phrase like 'for the night' or 'for a few days' very frequently follows to specify how long the hospitality lasts.
Could you put me up for the weekend? The trains aren't running until Monday.
A 'while' or 'until' clause can replace or extend a duration phrase, explaining the reason or circumstances for the stay.
Her parents put her up while she was looking for a flat to rent.
The passive form is natural when the focus is on the person being hosted rather than the host.
During the festival, I was put up by a colleague who lived near the venue.
Common Collocations
Common Mistakes
'Put up with' is a completely separate three-part phrasal verb meaning to tolerate something unpleasant. If you drop the 'with' and use a person as the object, the meaning shifts entirely to the accommodation sense — so be careful not to mix the two up.
'Put someone up' describes what the host does, not what the guest experiences. Learners sometimes use it from the guest's point of view, which sounds unnatural — the guest 'stays with' someone, while the host 'puts them up'.
In this accommodation sense, the object must always be a person or personal pronoun. If the object is a thing — a tent, a poster, prices — the meaning shifts to a completely different sense of 'put up'.
Usage
This phrasal verb is neutral and used in both British and American English. It always describes the host's action, not the guest's — so the subject is the person offering accommodation, and the object is the person being hosted.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does 'put up' always mean something is only temporary?
Not always, but it often suggests something that isn't permanent. You might put up decorations for a party (very temporary) or put up curtains in your flat (more long-lasting). The focus is on attaching or displaying something so it's visible, rather than how long it stays there.
Can 'put up' be used in the passive?
Yes, the passive is very natural with this sense of 'put up', especially in notices or announcements where who did it is less important. For example: 'A new timetable has been put up in the staffroom.' This form is common in both spoken and written English.
Does 'put up' have other meanings? I've heard it used in different ways.
Yes, 'put up' has several different meanings in English. This entry covers only the sense of displaying or attaching something to a surface. Other senses (like tolerating something or providing accommodation) are covered in separate entries on this platform.
What kinds of things can you 'put up'?
In this sense, the object is usually something physical and visible — things like posters, signs, notices, banners, decorations, photos, or flags. A good way to check: if you're attaching or displaying it so people can see it, 'put up' is probably the right choice.
Can I use 'put up' without saying what I'm putting up?
In most cases, you need to mention the object or make it clear from context. If someone has already said what needs displaying, you can use a pronoun: 'The posters are ready — let's put them up.' Dropping the object completely (e.g. 'Let's put up') sounds incomplete and unnatural.
Does 'put up' always mean to build or erect something?
No — 'put up' has several different meanings in English. It can also mean to provide someone with a place to stay, or to increase a price. The building/erecting meaning is only one of them. You can usually tell which sense is meant by looking at the object: a physical structure means the building sense, a person means accommodation, and a price or amount means an increase.
Can I use 'put up' for something temporary, like a tent or decorations?
Absolutely — 'put up' is used very naturally for both permanent structures like fences and walls, and temporary ones like tents, scaffolding, or Christmas decorations. The word doesn't say anything about whether the object will stay there permanently or not.
What kinds of things can follow 'put up with'?
Almost anything unpleasant or annoying — noise, bad behaviour, rudeness, difficult people, poor conditions, or long hours. The key is that the object should be something the speaker finds genuinely hard to accept. You can also follow it with a gerund phrase like 'being ignored' or 'being spoken to rudely'.
Can I use 'put up with' in the passive, like 'This will not be put up with'?
This is not natural in everyday English because 'put up with' requires an object after 'with', which makes a standard passive difficult to form. You might occasionally see it in very formal or emphatic written English, but it sounds unnatural in normal speech. It's better to rephrase, for example: 'This behaviour is not acceptable' or 'We won't tolerate this'.
Does 'put up with' always mean the person is unhappy?
Yes — this phrase always carries a sense of reluctant endurance. The person dealing with the situation is not comfortable or happy about it; they are simply choosing not to complain or walk away. If someone genuinely doesn't mind a situation, 'put up with' would be the wrong choice.
Can I say 'I will be putting up with this for a long time'?
This sounds a little unnatural and stilted. It's much more common to use simple tenses or modal constructions — for example, 'I'll have to put up with this for a long time' or 'I've been putting up with this for months'. The future continuous form works grammatically but is rarely used with this phrase.
Is 'put up with' more informal than 'tolerate'?
Yes, slightly. Both words mean the same thing, but 'tolerate' sounds more formal and is more common in professional or written contexts. 'Put up with' is the natural everyday choice in conversation and informal writing. Neither is wrong — it's just a matter of how formal you want to sound.
Does 'put up' always mean to raise a price? I've seen it used in other ways.
No — 'put up' has several different meanings depending on context. It can mean to display something on a wall, to build or construct something, or to provide accommodation for someone. However, the object always tells you which meaning is intended: if the object is a financial term like rent, fares, or taxes, it means to increase the cost.
Is 'put up' more British than American English?
Yes, this usage is much more common in British English. American English speakers tend to prefer 'raise' or 'hike' in the same contexts — for example, 'they raised the price' or 'the airline hiked its fares'. 'Put up' is understood in American English but would sound slightly informal or unusual.
Who can be the subject of 'put up'? Can I say 'inflation put up prices'?
The subject should be a human agent or an institution that makes an active decision — such as a landlord, a government, an airline, or an energy company. Abstract forces like inflation or the market don't make decisions, so it sounds unnatural to use them as the subject of 'put up'. In those cases, use 'go up' instead: 'prices went up due to inflation'.
Can I use 'put up' to talk about an increase in wages or the minimum wage?
Yes, this is a natural and common use. You can say things like 'The government put up the minimum wage by 5%' or 'The company put up salaries across the board'. Any decision to increase a financial amount can work with this phrasal verb.
Can I say 'they have been putting up prices for years' — is that natural?
Yes, the present perfect continuous works well here and sounds very natural. It emphasises that the action has been ongoing over a period of time, which suits contexts where you want to highlight a repeated or continuous pattern of price increases.
Does 'put up' only refer to staying in someone's home, or can it include hotels?
It's most naturally used when the host is a person — a friend, relative, or colleague — offering space in their own home. However, it can occasionally be used when someone arranges accommodation elsewhere on your behalf, such as a company putting you up in a hotel. The core idea is that someone else is making the arrangement and covering it for you.
Can 'put up' describe a long-term living situation, like renting a room?
Not really — 'put someone up' strongly implies a temporary arrangement, usually just a few nights or weeks at most. For longer or more permanent situations, you'd use verbs like 'house', 'let someone live with you', or simply describe the rental arrangement. The temporary nature is a key part of the meaning.
Does 'put up' have other meanings? Could it be misunderstood?
Yes, 'put up' has several other senses — for example, to hang something on a wall or to erect a structure. However, when the object is a person or personal pronoun, the accommodation meaning is clear and there's no real risk of confusion. Context and object type do all the work.
Can I say 'I'm putting her up' in the present continuous?
Yes, this is acceptable when describing something happening right now or over a current period — for example, 'We're putting her up at the moment while she looks for a new flat.' It's less common than the simple past or a request with 'can/could', but it's perfectly natural in the right context.
Is 'put someone up' something only native speakers say, or is it widely understood?
It's a well-established and widely used expression in both British and American English, so you're very unlikely to confuse a native speaker with it. It's also the kind of natural, everyday phrase that will make your English sound fluent and confident rather than overly formal or textbook-like.
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