put (something) down to
phrasal verb
put (something) down to; putting (something) down to; puts (something) down to
: to say or think that (something) happened because of (something)
Let's put the mistake down to your inexperience and forget about it.
Examples of put (something) down to in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The entire affair—the opening, the closing, the paranoia, and then the alarming news of a shooting (which was unrelated and, thankfully, nonfatal)—could be easily put down to the vagaries of big-city life.
—
Emma Sarappo, The Atlantic, 25 June 2025
To lose one legend before a huge Test series could be put down to misfortune, but losing two looked anything but careless for India at Headingley, where two of the younger faces of their batting lineup stepped comfortably into the shoes of giants.
—Paul Newman, New York Times, 20 June 2025
Part of Season 1’s success may be put down to its offering a fresh take on daily life in smaller city rural Portugal, Cunha Telles noted at Conecta Fiction.
—John Hopewell, Variety, 18 June 2025
These have been put down to changes across all forms of government in the transition from Joe Biden's administration to Trump's second term in office.
—Brendan Cole, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for put (something) down to
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Emma Sarappo, The Atlantic, 25 June 2025
To lose one legend before a huge Test series could be put down to misfortune, but losing two looked anything but careless for India at Headingley, where two of the younger faces of their batting lineup stepped comfortably into the shoes of giants.
—Paul Newman, New York Times, 20 June 2025
Part of Season 1’s success may be put down to its offering a fresh take on daily life in smaller city rural Portugal, Cunha Telles noted at Conecta Fiction.
—John Hopewell, Variety, 18 June 2025
These have been put down to changes across all forms of government in the transition from Joe Biden's administration to Trump's second term in office.
—Brendan Cole, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for put (something) down to
Cite this Entry
“Put (something) down to.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/put%20%28something%29%20down%20to. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share