put up or shut up

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Act on what you are saying or stop talking about it, as in You've been citing evidence for months but never presented it—now put up or shut up. This somewhat impolite term, often put as a command, is believed to come from gambling, in which a card player is told to ante up or withdraw. A second theory maintains that it means either put up your fists to fight or back down. [1870s] Also see put one's money where one's mouth is.

QUIZ

ARE YOU A TRUE BLUE CHAMPION OF THESE "BLUE" SYNONYMS?

We could talk until we're blue in the face about this quiz on words for the color "blue," but we think you should take the quiz and find out if you're a whiz at these colorful terms.

Question 1 of 8

Which of the following words describes “sky blue”?

navy

beryl

azure

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

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Words nearby put up or shut up

puttyroot, Putumayo, put-up, put-up job, put-upon, put up or shut up, put up with, put wise, put words in someone's mouth, put your foot in your mouth, putz

How to use put up or shut up in a sentence

To put it rather uncharitably, the USPHS practiced a major dental experiment on a city full of unconsenting subjects.
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“I think for trans men who are dating every time they hook up they have another coming out,” Sandler said.
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In that photo, Merabet has a big smile that spreads across his whole face and lights up his eyes.
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As this list shows, punishments typically run to a short-ish jail sentence and/or a moderately hefty fine.
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We won't find out this season, though it comes up occasionally.
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What need to look to right or left when you are swallowing up free mile after mile of dizzying road?
The Joyous Adventures of Aristide Pujol|William J. Locke
Most of the men leaped up, caught hold of spears or knives, and rushed out.
The Giant of the North|R.M. Ballantyne
He was voluble in his declarations that they would “put the screws” to Ollie on the charge of perjury.
The Bondboy|George W. (George Washington) Ogden
Some weeks after, the creditor chanced to be in Boston, and in walking up Tremont street, encountered his enterprising friend.
The Book of Anecdotes and Budget of Fun;|Various
In less than ten minutes, the bivouac was broken up, and our little army on the march.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, No. CCCXXXIX. January, 1844. Vol. LV.|Various