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.
Tribak described his life as "not bad", but told AFP: "I thought I would earn more if I put in the same effort there as I do here."
From Barron's ● Aug. 15, 2026
Colin McDonald, a 38-year-old who earlier worked as a prosecutor in San Diego, was put in charge of the new division in April.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
Since then, strict protocols were put in place to forbid ships from sailing in dangerous conditions, according to Spyridon Roussos, a political scientist and ferry specialist from Paros.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026
“He’s been put in the middle of something that has nothing to do with him.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026
He put in new window lights too, from glass we had on hand.
From "The Teacher’s Funeral" by Richard Peck
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.
