put by

To save money, food, or other things for future use.

• I put a little money by each week.
• They put by enough food for the winter.
• Have you put anything by for your retirement?

How to use it: put something by for something (She puts money by for emergencies.)

Similar words: save, set aside, store

Opposites: spend

Common phrases: put money by, put something by, put by savings

To put something away where it belongs, or stop considering an idea or concern.

• She put by her sewing.
• He put by his doubts and accepted the invitation.
• When the work was finished, they put the tools by.

How to use it: put something by (He put his papers by and went to bed.)

Similar words: put away, put aside, disregard

Common phrases: put by books, put something by, put by doubts

To do something without a particular person or group noticing it.

• He put the expense by his manager.
• She put the transaction by accounts without anyone asking questions.
• Could they put the change by the inspectors?

How to use it: put something by someone (She put the payment by the accounts team.)

Similar words: sneak past, slip past

Common phrases: put something by someone, put it by someone

If a ship does this, it is deliberately driven onto the shore or shallow ground to avoid a collision.

• The ship put by to avoid a crash.
• The captain ordered the vessel to put by on the sandbank.
• Two boats collided, but the third put by safely.

Similar words: run aground, beach

Common phrases: put by deliberately, put by ashore