put in
Britishverb
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(intr) nautical to bring a vessel into port, esp for a brief stay
we put in for fresh provisions
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(often foll by for) to apply or cause to apply (for a job, in a competition, etc)
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(tr) to submit
he put in his claims form
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to intervene with (a remark) during a conversation
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(tr) to devote (time, effort, etc) to a task
he put in three hours overtime last night
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(tr) to establish or appoint
he put in a manager
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(tr) cricket to cause (a team, esp the opposing one) to bat
England won the toss and put the visitors in to bat
noun
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Make a formal offer of, as in a court of law. For example, He put in a plea of not guilty . [Mid-1400s]
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Interpose, interject; see put in a good word ; put one's oar in .
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Spend time at a location or job, as in He put in three years at hard labor , or She put in eight hours a day at her desk . [Mid-1800s]
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Plant, as in We put in thirty new trees . [Early 1800s]
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Enter a port or harbor, as in The yacht will put in here for the night . [Early 1600s]
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put in for . Request or apply for something, as in I put in for a raise , or John put in for department supervisor . [c. 1600]
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The firm had already put in many more stringent processes for approving new clients.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 1, 2026
Fun, but that’s just a day off — which is when you put in for PTO.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 30, 2026
Brazil put in 12 crosses in the first half but generally tried to break down a stubborn Japan backline with the intricate, short passing you might expect of the South American side.
From BBC • Jun. 29, 2026
"I think that leads to overplaying and injuries. The toll it takes on your body is not from over 12 months - it is about all those hours you put in from so young."
From BBC • Jun. 29, 2026
Coal put in his mother’s thumb drive and one from Ms. Freeman’s desk and started copying files.
From "Boy 2.0" by Tracey Baptiste
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
