Put out means to stop something burning (a fire, a cigarette, a candle), or to take something out and leave it ready: the rubbish outside for collection, food and drinks on the table for guests. For example, “put out the fire” and “put the bins out”.
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put out + fire/cigarette/candle; put the bins/rubbish out; put out + food/drinks (for guests)
- It took the firefighters almost an hour to put out the fire in the warehouse.
- Before the guests arrived, we put out some snacks and cold drinks on the balcony.
- Remember to put the bins out on Tuesday night, because they're collected early on Wednesday.
What changed
First versionCan you carry out the rubbish? It's collected early tomorrow.
RevisionCan you put out the rubbish? It's collected early tomorrow.
“Carry out” may seem to describe taking the rubbish outside. But with an object, “carry out” is usually understood as “do” or “complete”: “carry out a plan”, “carry out research”. Native speakers rarely use it for rubbish: they put it out on the street with “put out”, or take it out of the house with “take out”.
In conversation, you will also hear “be put out”, which means to feel annoyed or a little offended: She was a bit put out that nobody asked her opinion. Here “put out” describes a mood, not an action.
Your turn
The fire in the pan was small, so the chef ___ it with a wet towel in seconds.
Show the answer
put out — The fire was stopped with a wet towel, so “put out” is right. “Put off” means to delay something, such as a meeting: “put off the meeting”. It has nothing to do with fire.
Describe how you get ready for guests. Say what you put out and where.
Before my friends come over, I put out bowls of crisps and a jug of lemonade on the kitchen table.
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