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put someone up to
Incite someone to do something, especially a mischievous or malicious act. For example,
My brother put me up to making those prank telephone calls
, or
They didn't think of it on their own; someone put them up to it
.
[
Early 1800s
]
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Heartbreak
