put-up

[ poot-uhp ]

/ ˈpʊtˌʌp /

adjective Informal.

planned beforehand in a secret or crafty manner: a put-up job.

QUIZZES

WHO SAID IT: A QUIZ ON PRESIDENTIAL WIT AND WISDOM

Think you know your presidents? Take this quiz and see if you can match the style, wit, and ideology of these memorable lines to the right POTUS.

Question 1 of 9

“I do believe that the buck stops here, that I cannot rely upon public opinion polls to tell me what is right. I do believe that right makes might and that if I am wrong, 10 angels swearing I was right would make no difference.”

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of put-up

First recorded in 1800–10; adj. use of verb phrase put up

Words nearby put-up

putty in someone's hands, putty knife, putty powder, puttyroot, Putumayo, put-up, put-up job, put-upon, put up or shut up, put up with, put wise

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for put-up

But he did not venture to give even Sir Rupert any hint of his suspicions that the whole thing was only a put-up job.
The Dictator|Justin McCarthy
You see, if the spider lets the fly walk out too easily, the fly might suspect it was a put-up job.
The Secret Adversary|Agatha Christie
I had no right to do that; the young chap was innocent, the charge was a put-up job.
Curly|Roger Pocock
"I'll bet it's a put-up job between you and Alix--" Martin said in indulgent suspicion.
Sisters|Kathleen Norris

Of course he was one of the gang, and his fall was a put-up job to get Will out of the way.
Berry And Co.|Dornford Yates

British Dictionary definitions for put-up

put up

verb (adverb, mainly tr)

to build; erectto put up a statue

to accommodate or be accommodated atcan you put me up for tonight?

to increase (prices)

to submit or present (a plan, case, etc)

to offerto put a house up for sale

to provide or supply; giveto put up a good fight

to provide (money) for; invest inthey put up five thousand for the new project

to preserve or can (jam, etc)

to pile up (long hair) on the head in any of several styles

(also intr) to nominate or be nominated as a candidate, esp for a political or society posthe put his wife up as secretary; he put up for president

archaic to return (a weapon) to its holder, as a sword to its sheathput up your pistol!

put up to

to inform or instruct (a person) about (tasks, duties, etc)
to urge or goad (a person) on to; incite to

put up with informal to endure; tolerate

adjective put-up

dishonestly or craftily prearranged or conceived (esp in the phrase put-up job)

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Idioms and Phrases with put-up

put up

Erect, build; also, lift to a higher position. For example, They put up three new houses on our street, or She looks more grownup when she puts up her hair in a bun. [c. 1600]

Preserve, can, as in She put up countless jars of jam. [Early 1800s]

Nominate, as in Tom put up Peter for president. [Late 1500s]

Provide funds, especially in advance, as in They put up nearly a million for the new museum.

put someone up. Provide lodgings for, as in We can put you up for the night. [Mid-1700s]

Startle game from cover, as in The hunter put up three grouse. [Late 1400s]

Offer for sale, as in They had to put up their last antiques. [Early 1700s]

Make a display or appearance of, as in They were actually broke but put up a good front. [First half of 1800s]

Do well in a contest, as in They put up a good fight. [Late 1800s]

Stake money for a bet, as in Each player put up ten dollars. [Mid-1800s]

MEANINGS

WORD GAMES

LEARN

WRITING

WORD OF THE DAY