put someone up to

Idioms  

1. 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]

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Example Sentences

“It was so completely out of the blue, I thought my husband had put someone up to it, that it was a joke, so I ended the call,” she says, laughing.

From The Guardian • Feb. 16, 2020