To put means to place something somewhere or move it to a particular position or location. When you put your homework on the teacher's desk, you're setting it down in that spot. When you put away your toys, you're returning them to where they belong. When you put a bookmark in a book, you're placing it between the pages.

The word appears in countless everyday phrases. You might put on a jacket, put off doing something until later, or put up with an annoying situation. A teacher might ask you to put your thinking cap on, meaning to focus and solve a problem. When someone puts their foot down, they're firmly saying no. When you put yourself in someone else's shoes, you're trying to understand their perspective.

Put is one of the most flexible verbs in English because it works in so many contexts. You can put words on paper, put effort into a project, put trust in a friend, or put an idea into action. The basic meaning stays the same: you're placing, positioning, or moving something from one state or location to another. Learning how put combines with other words helps you express many different actions using one simple verb.