put up — 2 meanings

One phrase, 2 meanings. Learn them one at a time, then test yourself.

phrasal verb2 meanings

put up

1let someone stay in your home 2raise or fix something in a place

Meaning 1 · most common

let someone stay in your home

put sb up

to allow someone to stay at your home for a short period, usually as a guest.

How oftenCommon

LevelB1

Used inMostly spoken

Examples

When my cousin visited the city, I put her up for the weekend.

A: My flight got cancelled. Do you know any cheap hotels nearby?
B: Don't worry, I can put you up at my place tonight.

Common mistake

Not: They put up me for a few days.

Say: They put me up for a few days.

With a pronoun, the object goes in the middle: 'put me up'.

More on “let someone stay in your home”Another example · Tell it apart · Goes with · Tip

Another example

If a friend from another country visited my city, I would be happy to put them up for a few days and show them around.

Tell it apart

They put me up for the weekend.

let me stay at their place

They put up with me all weekend.

tolerated me

Goes with

put + someone + up

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Next meaning: raise or fix something in a place

Meaning 2

raise or fix something in a place

put sth up

to attach or place something so that it stands upright or is displayed, like a picture, a tent, or a sign.

How oftenCommon

LevelB1

Used inMostly spoken

Examples

We put up a tent in the garden for the kids to play in.

A: The living room looks empty.
B: Let's put up some pictures on the wall.

Common mistake

Not: Let's put up it on the wall.

Say: Let's put it up on the wall.

With a pronoun, the object goes in the middle: 'put it up'.

More on “raise or fix something in a place”Another example · Tell it apart · Goes with · Tip

Another example

During festivals, people often put up decorations to make their homes look more festive.

Tell it apart

They put up a new fence.

erected it

They took down the old fence.

removed it

Goes with

put up + fixture

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let someone stay in your home raise or fix something in a place