put back
phrasal verb
put back; putting back; puts back
1
: to return (something) to the place where it belongs
Remember to put the vacuum cleaner back in the closet after you've used it.
The books had been put back neatly on the shelf.
2
British
: to change (a planned event) to start at a later date or time
They put back the game until next week.
Examples of put back in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Two of the guests at the 1607 feast had been abducted by English sailors a few years earlier, taken to England essentially as slaves, then put back on a ship to act as guides and translators in the New World.
—
Alex Seitz-Wald, NBC News, 23 Nov. 2023
It’s packed with fun, colorful images, including puzzles that can be cut out and put back together again.
—Jessica Booth, Parents, 1 Nov. 2023
By the time the set got put back up, the circus had already moved on.
—Helen Shaw, The New Yorker, 29 Sep. 2023
Congress has the ability to put back in place the rights that the Supreme Court took from the women of America.
—CBS News, 10 Sep. 2023
In Arkansas, one of the country’s biggest users of groundwater, more than twice as much water is being pumped annually from the main agricultural aquifer as rainfall and other sources put back in, according to state data.
—Mira Rojanasakul, New York Times, 28 Aug. 2023
Even worse, if a knife is put back into a knife block wet, harmful mold and bacteria can grow inside.
—Christina Manian, Rdn, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 Oct. 2023
The Allied Military Government places a Brit, Major Ivan Hirst, in charge of the factory, which is put back into service to fulfill an order for 20,000 VWs for the occupation forces.
—Alexander Stoklosa, Car and Driver, 31 Aug. 2023
When the timbered framework and lead sheathing nears completion, at the end of this year, the statues will be put back.
—Laura King, Los Angeles Times, 30 May 2023
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Alex Seitz-Wald, NBC News, 23 Nov. 2023
It’s packed with fun, colorful images, including puzzles that can be cut out and put back together again.
—Jessica Booth, Parents, 1 Nov. 2023
By the time the set got put back up, the circus had already moved on.
—Helen Shaw, The New Yorker, 29 Sep. 2023
Congress has the ability to put back in place the rights that the Supreme Court took from the women of America.
—CBS News, 10 Sep. 2023
In Arkansas, one of the country’s biggest users of groundwater, more than twice as much water is being pumped annually from the main agricultural aquifer as rainfall and other sources put back in, according to state data.
—Mira Rojanasakul, New York Times, 28 Aug. 2023
Even worse, if a knife is put back into a knife block wet, harmful mold and bacteria can grow inside.
—Christina Manian, Rdn, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 Oct. 2023
The Allied Military Government places a Brit, Major Ivan Hirst, in charge of the factory, which is put back into service to fulfill an order for 20,000 VWs for the occupation forces.
—Alexander Stoklosa, Car and Driver, 31 Aug. 2023
When the timbered framework and lead sheathing nears completion, at the end of this year, the statues will be put back.
—Laura King, Los Angeles Times, 30 May 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'put back.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Put back.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/put%20back. Accessed 3 Dec. 2023.
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