Put-put-put … What’s that? An old jalopy?

The spelling is wrong.

However, too many occurrences of put in your writing might make readers envision a rust bucket.

Strong Verbs to the Rescue

Put is a weak verb. Writers can often replace it with a strong verb that shows distinct action.

Example 1

Nina put her keys on the table.

Not much of a mental picture, is it?

Nina arranged her keys on the table.

This Nina might betray a compulsive need for neatness.

Nina slammed her keys on the table.

Or she could be angry.

Example 2

The cat put one paw in the air and begged for tuna.

Besides the alliteration provided by put and paw, this sentence provides nothing remarkable.

The cat poked one paw in the air and begged for tuna.

Poked produces a more effective impact than put.

The cat raised one paw and begged for tuna.

A stronger verb, raised, eliminates the need for in the air.

Example 3

Susan put on her makeup.

We could choose a replacement that would decrease the word count by one:

Susan applied her makeup.

A light coat of makeup? A heavy one?

Susan slathered on her makeup.

Another well-chosen verb, slathered, provides a strong mental image.

Example 4

Ward put his new painting on the wall.

A slight change enlivens the sentence with sound, while preserving the word count:

Ward nailed his new painting on the wall.

Perhaps Ward is proud of his new painting:

Ward displayed his new painting on the wall.

Three sentences, three verbs, three different scenes in readers’ minds.

It’s Not Always That Straightforward

Put appears in numerous phrases. The good news is that single words can replace many of those phrases.

put a cap on: limit

put a cork/sock in it: hush

put a crimp in: disrupt, interfere

put a damper on: deter

put a lid on: terminate

put a plug in: endorse, plug

put a price on: evaluate, price

put a spin on: distort, spin

put a spotlight on: emphasize, highlight

put a stop to: stop

put a strain on: overload, strain

put about: disseminate, inform, spread

put across: articulate

put an end to: stop

put an idea across: persuade

put aside: allocate, earmark, reserve

put at risk: endanger, imperil, jeopardize

put at someone’s disposal: lend, offer

put away: eat; save

put back together: reassemble

put back: defer; drink; reimburse; return

put balls on: masculinize

put behind bars: imprison

put behind: forget

put by: save

put dibs on: claim

put down in black and white: pen, record, type, write

put down roots: settle, stay

put down: disparage; euthanize

put food on the table: provide, support

put forth: propose

put forward: suggest

put hair on one’s chest: energize; toughen

put heads together: confer

put in a good word: vouch

put in a nutshell: abridge, condense, summarize

put in an appearance: appear

put in an awkward position: corner; unsettle

put in for: apply, request

put in jeopardy: endanger, jeopardize

put in mothballs: stow

put in motion: activate, begin, initiate, trigger

put in one’s two cents: comment

put in place: inaugurate; position

put in: contribute

put into action/effect/force: implement

put into law: enact

put into practice: do, practice

put into words: verbalize

put it mildly: understate

put money on: bet, wager

put money up: fund, sponsor, underwrite

put no stock in: disbelieve, distrust

put off the scent: distract, sidetrack

put off: displease; postpone

put on a pedestal: idolize

put on airs: gloat, pontificate, swagger

put on an act: pretend

put on display: display

put on ice/hold: postpone

put on notice: announce; warn

put on one’s thinking cap: reflect

put on paper: pen, print, scribble, type, write

put on the back burner: delay, postpone, stall

put on the griddle: censure

put on the line: risk

put on the map: publicize

put on the nosebag: eat

put on the Ritz: flaunt

put on the spot: embarrass, shame

put on: deceive; don, wear

put one over on: deceive, trick

put one’s back into it: strain, strive

put one’s butt on the line: risk

put one’s cards on the table: disclose, reveal

put one’s ducks in a row: organize, prepare

put one’s feet up: relax, sit

put one’s finger on: identify

put one’s foot down: insist

put one’s foot in it: blunder

put one’s foot in one’s mouth: blurt

put one’s hand to the plough: work

put one’s heart into: strive

put one’s house in order: organize

put one’s John Hancock on: endorse, sign

put one’s life on the line: imperil, risk

put one’s mind to: concentrate

put one’s name in the hat: volunteer

put one’s nose to the grindstone: toil

put one’s nose where it’s not wanted: meddle, pry, snoop

put one’s oar in: interfere

put oneself in somebody else’s shoes: empathize

put out feelers: investigate

put out of mind: forget

put out of misery: euthanize

put out of sight: hide

put out the red carpet/welcome mat: welcome

put out there: propose

put out to pasture: retire

put out to sea: sail

put out: annoy; extinguish; produce, publish

put over the knee: punish, spank

put over the top: accomplish, reach

put plainly: assert

put pressure on: intimidate

put right: rectify

put someone in his/her place: chasten, humiliate, rebuke

put someone’s mind to rest: reassure

put someone’s nose out of joint: irritate, upset

put something on the street: air, publicize

put something under a microscope: scrutinize

put stock/store in: trust

put sweet lines on: coax

put teeth on edge: irritate

put the acid on: beg

put the arm/heat/screws on: pressure

put the blame on: blame

put the brakes on: brake, impede

put the chill on: ignore

put the clamps on: block, restrain

put the clock back: restore

put the damper on: discourage

put the fear of God into: intimidate

put the genie back in the bottle: revert

put the hammer down: accelerate

put the heat/screws/hammer on: pressure

put the kibosh on: veto

put the make/moves on: proposition

put the pedal to the metal: speed

put through paces: audition, test

put through the wringer: traumatize

put to bed with a shovel: bury

put to bed: conclude, end, finish

put to death: execute

put to one side: separate

put to rest: dispel

put to shame: disgrace

put to sleep: euthanize

put to the sword: slay

put to the test: evaluate

put to use: use

put to work: employ

put together: join

put two and two together: conclude

put under: sedate

put up a fight: fight

put up for sale: sell

put up the shutters: lock

put up walls: isolate

put up with: abide, allow, stand, stomach, tolerate

put up: accommodate; erect; can, preserve; finance, fund

Many Phrases Require Multiword Replacements

I couldn’t think of a single verb that would replace put one’s pants on one leg at a time. Likewise for put all one’s eggs in one basket. A Google search provided the following alternatives.

Put one’s pants on one leg at a time: to be an ordinary person; to be a mere mortal.
(https://en.wiktionary.org/)

Put all one’s eggs in one basket: make everything dependent on only one thing; place all one’s resources in one place, account, etc.
(http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/)

You’ll find hundreds, perhaps thousands, of English phrases that incorporate put. Rely on your favorite thesaurus, dictionary, or search engine to locate their meanings. When you find replacements, avoid clichés — except for dialogue, where anything that suits your characters will ring true with readers.

Verbs to Replace Put

If you need to replace put with a verb, you might find what you need in this list.

A to D
abandoned, affixed, anchored, applied, arranged, arrayed, banged, chucked, crammed, crashed, deposited, deserted, discarded, displayed, ditched, dropped, dumped

E to L
exhibited, flicked, flipped, flung, forced, glued, grouped, hauled, heaved, hoisted, hung, hurled, inserted, installed, laid, left, lobbed, located

N to R
nailed, organized, parked, pegged, pitched, placed, planted, plastered, plonked, plunked, poked, positioned, raised, rested, rolled

S to W
set, sited, situated, slammed, slathered, smashed, spread, stabbed, stationed, stood, stuck, tacked, taped, threaded, threw, thumped, tossed, tucked, wedged, winched