[push over]{v. phr.} To upset; overthrow. •/She is standing on her feet very solidly; a little criticism from you certainly won’t push her over./ •/The wind in Chicago can be so strong that sometimes I’m afraid I’ll get pushed over./

[push the panic button]{v. phr.}, {slang} To become very much frightened; nervous or excited, especially at a time of danger or worry. •/John thought he saw a ghost and pushed the panic button./ •/Keep cool; don’t hit the panic button!/ Syn.: LOSE ONE’S HEAD.

[push-up]{n.} An exercise to build strong arms and shoulders, in which you lie on your stomach and push your body up on your hands and toes. •/At the age of seventy, Grandpa still does twenty push-ups every day./ •/The football team does push-ups every day./

[push up daisies]{v. phr.}, {slang} To be dead and buried. •/I’ll be around when you’re pushing up daisies./ •/Don’t play with guns or you may push up the daisies./

[put] See: HARD PUT or HARD PUT TO IT, STAY PUT.

[put about]{v. phr.} — Nautical usage. To turn in the opposite direction; turn around. •/When we saw the storm clouds thickening in the sky, we put about quickly and raced ashore./

[put a bee in one’s bonnet] See: BEE IN ONE’S BONNET.

[put a bug in one’s ear] or [put a flea in one’s ear] See: BUG IN ONE’S EAR.

[put across]{v.} 1. To explain clearly; make yourself understood; communicate. •/He knew how to put his ideas across./ Compare: GET ACROSS. 2. {informal} To get (something) done successfully; bring to success; make real. •/He put across a big sales campaign./ •/The new librarian put across a fine new library building./ Syn.: PUT OVER(2). Compare: PULL OFF.

[put all one’s eggs in one basket]{v. phr.} To place all your efforts, interests, or hopes in a single person or thing. •/Going steady in high school is putting all your eggs in one basket too soon./ •/To buy stock in a single company is to put all your eggs in one basket./ •/He has decided to specialize in lathe work, although he knows it is risky to put all his eggs in one basket./

[put a new face on]{v. phr.} To alter the aspect of something; change. •/Mr. Merry man’s announcement of his candidacy for governor puts an entirely new face on the political scene in our state./

[put an end to] or [put a stop to] {v. phr.} 1. To make (something) end; stop; end. •/The farmer built an electric fence around his field to put an end to trespassing./ •/The principal said that running in the halls was dangerous, and told the teachers to put a stop to it./ 2. To destroy or kill. •/The new highway took most of the traffic from the old road and put an end to Mr. Hanson’s motel business./ •/When the horse broke his leg, the farmer put an end to him./

[put aside]{v. phr.} 1. To save; put something aside for a special purpose. •/Peter puts $100 aside every week./ 2. To let go of; put away. •/The teacher to the students, "Put your books aside and start writing your tests!"/

[put away]{v.} 1. To put in the right place or out of sight. •/She put away the towels./ 2. To lay aside; stop thinking about. •/He put his worries away for the weekend./ 3. {informal} To eat or drink. •/He put away a big supper and three cups of coffee./ Compare: STOW AWAY. 4. {informal} To put in a mental hospital. •/He had to put his wife away when she became mentally ill./ 5. To put to death for a reason; kill. •/He had his dog put away when it became too old and unhappy./

[put back the clock] or [turn back the clock] {v. phr.} To go back in time; relive the past. •/If I could put back the clock I’d give more thought to preparing for a career./ •/Richard wishes that he had lived in frontier days, but he can’t turn back the clock./

[put by]{v.} To save for the future; lay aside. •/He had put by a good sum during a working lifetime./

[putdown]{n.} An insult, •/It was a nasty putdown when John called his sister a fat cow./

[put down]{v. phr.} 1. To stop by force, crush. •/In 24 hours the general had entirely put down the rebellion./ 2. To put a stop to; check. •/She had patiently put down unkind talk by living a good life./ 3. To write a record of; write down. •/He put down the story while it was fresh in his mind./ 4. To write a name in a list as agreeing to do something. •/The banker put himself down for $1000./ •/Sheila put Barbara down for the decorations./ 5. To decide the kind or class of; characterize. •/He put the man down as a bum./ •/He put it down as a piece of bad luck./ 6. To name as a cause; attribute. •/He put the odd weather down to nuclear explosions./ 7. To dig; drill; sink. •/He put down a new well./

[put forth]{v. phr.} To produce; issue; send out. •/In the spring the apple trees put forth beautiful white blossoms./ •/The chairman of the board put forth an innovative proposal that was circulated by mail./

[put ideas into one’s head]{v. phr.} To persuade someone to do something negative; put one up to something. •/Billy would never have poured glue into his father’s shoes if the neighbor’s son hadn’t been putting ideas into his head./

[put in]{v.} 1. To add to what has been said; say (something) in addition to what others say. •/While the boys were discussing the car accident, Ben put in that the road was icy./ •/My father put in a word for me and I got the job./ 2. To buy and keep in a store to sell. •/He put in a full stock of drugs./ 3. To spend (time). •/He put in many years as a printer./ •/He put in an hour a day reading./ 4. To plant. •/He put in a row of radishes./ 5. To stop at a port on a journey by water. •/After the fire, the ship put in for repairs./ 6. To apply; ask. — Used with "for". •/When a better job was open, he put in for it./ •/The sailor put in for time to visit his family before the ship went to sea./

[put in a word for]{v. phr.} To speak in favor of someone; recommend someone. •/"Don’t worry about your job application," Sam said to Tim. "I’ll put in a word for you with the selection committee."/

[put in an appearance] also [make an appearance] {v. phr.} To be present, esp. for a short time; visit; appear. •/He put in an appearance at work, but he was too ill to stay./ •/The president put in an appearance at several dances the evening after he was sworn in./

[put in mind of]{v. phr.}, {nonstandard} To remind of; suggest to; call up the memory of. •/She puts me in mind of my sister./ •/That puts me in mind of a story./

[put in one’s place]{v. phr.}, {informal} To criticize someone for impolite boldness; remind someone of low rank or position; reduce someone’s unsuitable pride; deflate. •/The assistant was trying to take command when the professor put him in his place by saying, "No, I’m the boss here."/ •/She was a teacher who could put a troublemaker in his place with just a glance./ Syn.: CUT DOWN TO SIZE.

[put in one’s two cents worth] See: TWO CENTS(2).

[put in one’s way] See: PUT IN THE WAY OF.

[put in the way of] or [put in one’s way] {v. phr.} To set before (someone); give to (someone); show the way to; help toward. •/After Joe graduated, the coach put him in the way of a good job./ •/The librarian put me in the way of a lot of new material on the subject of my report./