put by
1 of 1verb/pʊt baɪ/
Forms:puts by,putting by,put by,put by
1
to save money for future use or needs
- Every month, she puts a small amount by for her retirement.
- They've been putting money by for their child's college education.
- He decided to put some cash by for an emergency.
- Knowing the winter months would be tough, he put by a portion of his earnings.
- They've managed to put by enough to take a vacation next year.
2
to store food for later use by preserving it through methods like canning, freezing, or drying
- Every autumn, she puts tomatoes by for the winter by canning them.
- They harvested a lot of blueberries and decided to put them by in the freezer.
- He loves making homemade jam and putting it by for later consumption.
- After a bountiful harvest, she put by several jars of pickled cucumbers.
- They put by the fish they caught by smoking and drying them.
3
to do an action subtly without being noticed
- She managed to put the note by without anyone noticing.
- In the crowded room, he cleverly put his move by, evading the guards.
- With a sleight of hand, the magician put the trick by the observant audience.
- She put by a small gesture to signal her accomplice during the meeting.
- The spy put by his surveillance activities under the guise of a tourist.
4
(of a ship or boat) to intentionally run at the shoreline to avert a collision
- After the engine failure, the crew put by, grounding the vessel safely on the beach.
- With another ship unexpectedly in their path, they had to put by to avoid a disaster.
- Realizing a collision was imminent, the sailor quickly put the yacht by on the mudflat.
- To avoid hitting the rocks, they had to put the boat by on the shallow coast.
- Seeing the oncoming vessel, the captain decided to put the ship by on a nearby sandbar.