AAAmerican Accent US

put up

Separable

The object can go before or after the particle — but a pronoun MUST go in the middle: “clean it up”, never “clean up it”.

How to say it

Stress the particle, not the verb: put UP. Saying “PUT up” is the clearest learner tell — the verb stays light and the particle carries the beat.

The /t/ flaps. Between vowels, American /t/ and /d/ both become a quick tap, so “put up” comes out as “pu-dup” — closer to a fast D than a T. Drop a pronoun in the middle and it flaps twice: “put it up” → “pu-di-dup”.

3 meanings

  1. 1

    To erect or display something.

    • “They put up a fence along the property line.”
    • “We put the decorations up on the first of December.”

    Similar: erect, hang

  2. 2

    To let someone stay in your home.

    • “We can put you up for a couple of nights.”

    Similar: accommodate, host

  3. 3

    To increase a price.

    • “The landlord put the rent up again.”

    Similar: raise

The particle logic

up

Something is finished, raised, improved, or brought together.

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More PUT phrasal verbs

Compare the whole family →

put off

To postpone something until later.

put up with

To tolerate something unpleasant without complaining.

put on

To dress yourself in something.

put out

To extinguish a fire, a flame or a cigarette.

put away

To return something to its proper storage place.

put down

To place something on a surface.

put back

To return something to its original place.

put in

To install something.

put together

To assemble something from parts.

put through

To connect someone by telephone.

put aside

To save something, especially money, for later.

put up — meaning, examples & how to say it