Get vs. Put — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman & Urooj Arif — Updated on May 17, 2024
Get means to obtain or receive something, while put means to place or position something in a specific location.
Difference Between Get and Put
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Get refers to the act of obtaining or receiving something. When you get something, you acquire it, whether it's an object, information, or a service. For example, you might get a book from the library or get information from a website. Put, on the other hand, involves placing or positioning something in a particular location. When you put something somewhere, you move it to that spot intentionally. For instance, you put a book on the shelf or put your keys on the table.
Get is often associated with the action of acquiring or receiving. It emphasizes the process of obtaining something that was not previously in your possession. Conversely, put emphasizes the action of positioning or relocating an item. It focuses on where something is placed rather than the acquisition.
In terms of usage, get often involves a change in possession or state. For example, you get a new job or get ready for a trip. Put, however, involves a change in location or arrangement. For instance, you put the groceries away or put on a jacket.
Get can also be used in various idiomatic expressions, such as "get going" or "get well." Put also has idiomatic uses like "put up with" or "put off."
Comparison Chart
Definition
To obtain or receive something
To place or position something
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Action Focus
Acquiring or receiving
Positioning or relocating
Usage Context
Emphasizes change in possession or state
Emphasizes change in location or arrangement
Example
Get a book from the library
Put a book on the shelf
Idiomatic Uses
"Get going," "Get well"
"Put up with," "Put off"
Compare with Definitions
Get
To catch or take.
Did you get the train on time?
Put
To place or set in a specific location.
She put the vase on the table.
Get
Come to have (something); receive
I got a letter from him the other day
What kind of reception did you get?
Put
To assign or attribute.
They put the blame on him.
Get
Succeed in attaining, achieving, or experiencing; obtain
He got a teaching job in California
I need all the sleep I can get
Put
To apply or attach.
Put some ointment on the cut.
Get
Reach or cause to reach a specified state or condition
I need to get my hair cut
He'd got thinner
It's getting late
You'll get used to it
Put
To cause to be in a particular state.
His joke put everyone in a good mood.
Get
Come, go, or make progress eventually or with some difficulty
Nigel got home very late
He hadn't got very far with the book yet
Put
Move to or place in a particular position
Harry put down his cup
I put my hand out towards her
Watch where you're putting your feet!
Get
See have
Put
Bring into a particular state or condition
He is putting himself at risk
They tried to put me at ease
A large aid programme was put into practice
Get
Catch or apprehend (someone)
The police have got him
Put
Cause (someone or something) to be subject to something
Commentators put some of the blame on Congress
He defended his decision to put VAT on domestic fuel
Get
Understand (an argument or the person making it)
What do you mean? I don't get it
Put
Throw (a shot or weight) as an athletic sport
She set a women's record by putting the shot 56' 7"
Get
Acquire (knowledge) by study; learn
That knowledge which is gotten at school
Put
A throw of a shot or weight.
Get
An animal's offspring.
Put
Short for put option
Get
A person whom the speaker dislikes or despises.
Put
To place in a specified location; set
She put the books on the table.
Get
To come into possession or use of; receive
Got a cat for her birthday.
Put
To cause to be in a specified condition
His gracious manners put me at ease.
Get
To meet with or incur
Got nothing but trouble for her efforts.
Put
To cause (one) to undergo something; subject
The interrogators put the prisoner to torture.
Get
To go after and obtain
Got a book at the library.
Got breakfast in town.
Put
To assign; attribute
They put a false interpretation on events.
Get
To go after and bring
Get me a pillow.
Put
To estimate
We put the time at five o'clock.
Get
To purchase; buy
Get groceries.
Put
To impose or levy
The governor has put a tax on cigarettes.
Get
To acquire as a result of action or effort
He got his information from the internet. You can't get water out of a stone.
Put
(Games) To wager (a stake); bet
Put $50 on a horse.
Get
To earn
Got high marks in math.
Put
(Sports) To hurl with an overhand pushing motion
Put the shot.
Get
To accomplish or attain as a result of military action.
Put
To bring up for consideration or judgment
Put a question to the judge.
Get
To obtain by concession or request
Couldn't get the time off.
Got permission to go.
Put
To express; state
I put my objections bluntly.
Get
To arrive at; reach
When did you get home?.
Put
To render in a specified language or literary form
Put prose into verse.
Get
To reach and board; catch
She got her plane two minutes before takeoff.
Put
To adapt
The lyrics had been put to music.
Get
To succeed in communicating with, as by telephone
Can't get me at the office until nine.
Put
To urge or force to an action
A mob that put the thief to flight.
Get
To become affected with (an illness, for example) by infection or exposure; catch
Get the flu.
Got the mumps.
Put
To apply
We must put our minds to it.
Get
To be subjected to; undergo
Got a severe concussion.
Put
To force the purchase of (a stock or commodity) by exercising a put option.
Get
To receive as retribution or punishment
Got six years in prison for tax fraud.
Put
(Nautical) To proceed
The ship put into the harbor.
Get
To sustain a specified injury to
Got my arm broken.
Put
(Sports) An act of putting the shot.
Get
To perceive or become aware of by one of the senses
Get a whiff of perfume.
Got a look at the schedule.
Put
An option to sell a stipulated amount of stock or securities within a specified time and at a fixed price.
Get
To gain or have understanding of
Do you get this question?.
Put
Fixed; stationary
Stay put.
Get
To learn (a poem, for example) by heart; memorize.
Put
To place something somewhere.
She put her books on the table.
Get
To find or reach by calculating
Get a total.
Can't get the answer.
Put
To bring or set into a certain relation, state or condition.
Put your house in order!
He is putting all his energy into this one task.
She tends to put herself in dangerous situations.
Get
To procreate; beget
“Is my life given me for nothing but to get children and work to bring them up?” (D.H. Lawrence).
Put
(finance) To exercise a put option.
He got out of his Procter and Gamble bet by putting his shares at 80.
Get
To cause to become or be in a specified state or condition
Got the children tired and cross.
Got the shirt clean.
Put
To express something in a certain manner.
When you put it that way, I guess I can see your point.
Get
To make ready; prepare
Get lunch for the family.
Put
(athletics) To throw a heavy iron ball, as a sport. See shot put. Do not confuse with putt.
Get
To cause to come or go
Got the car through traffic.
Put
To steer; to direct one's course; to go.
Get
To cause to move or leave
Get me out of here!.
Put
To play a card or a hand in the game called put.
Get
To cause to undertake or perform; prevail on
Got the guide to give us the complete tour.
Put
To attach or attribute; to assign.
To put a wrong construction on an act or expression
Get
To take, especially by force; seize
The detective got the suspect as he left the restaurant.
Put
(obsolete) To lay down; to give up; to surrender.
Get
(Informal) To overcome or destroy
The ice storm got the rose bushes.
Put
To set before one for judgment, acceptance, or rejection; to bring to the attention.
To put a question; to put a case
Get
To evoke an emotional response or reaction in
Romantic music really gets me.
Put
(obsolete) To incite; to entice; to urge; to constrain; to oblige.
Get
To annoy or irritate
What got me was his utter lack of initiative.
Put
(mining) To convey coal in the mine, as for example from the working to the tramway.
Get
To present a difficult problem to; puzzle
“It's the suspect's indifference that gets me,” the detective said.
Put
(business) A right to sell something at a predetermined price.
Get
To take revenge on, especially to kill in revenge for a wrong.
Put
(finance) Short for put option.
He bought a January '08 put for Procter and Gamble at 80 to hedge his bet.
Get
(Informal) To hit or strike
She got him on the chin. The bullet got him in the arm.
Put
The act of putting; an action; a movement; a thrust; a push.
The put of a ball
Get
(Baseball) To put out or strike out
Got the batter with a cut fastball.
Put
(uncountable) An old card game.
Get
To begin or start. Used with the present participle
I have to get working on this or I'll miss my deadline.
Put
(obsolete) A fellow, especially an eccentric or elderly one; a duffer.
Get
To have current possession of. Used in the present perfect form with the meaning of the present
We've got plenty of cash.
Put
A pit.
Get
(Nonstandard) To have current possession of. Used in the past tense form with the meaning of the present
They got a nice house in town.
Put
A rustic; a clown; an awkward or uncouth person.
Queer country puts extol Queen Bess's reign.
What droll puts the citizens seem in it all.
Get
To have as an obligation. Used in the present perfect form with the meaning of the present
I have got to leave early. You've got to do the dishes.
Put
The act of putting; an action; a movement; a thrust; a push; as, the put of a ball.
Get
(Nonstandard) To have as an obligation. Used in the past tense with the meaning of the present
They got to clean up this mess.
Put
A certain game at cards.
Get
To become or grow to be
Eventually got well.
Put
A privilege which one party buys of another to "put" (deliver) to him a certain amount of stock, grain, etc., at a certain price and date.
A put and a call may be combined in one instrument, the holder of which may either buy or sell as he chooses at the fixed price.
Get
To be successful in coming or going
When will we get to Dallas?.
Put
To move in any direction; to impel; to thrust; to push; - nearly obsolete, except with adverbs, as with by (to put by = to thrust aside; to divert); or with forth (to put forth = to thrust out).
His chief designs are . . . to put thee by from thy spiritual employment.
Get
To be able or permitted
Never got to see Europe.
Finally got to work at home.
Put
To bring to a position or place; to place; to lay; to set; figuratively, to cause to be or exist in a specified relation, condition, or the like; to bring to a stated mental or moral condition; as, to put one in fear; to put a theory in practice; to put an enemy to fight.
This present dignity,In which that I have put you.
I will put enmity between thee and the woman.
He put no trust in his servants.
When God into the hands of their delivererPuts invincible might.
In the mean time other measures were put in operation.
Get
To be successful in becoming
Get free of a drug problem.
Put
To attach or attribute; to assign; as, to put a wrong construction on an act or expression.
Get
Used with the past participle of transitive verbs as a passive voice auxiliary
Got stung by a bee.
Put
To lay down; to give up; to surrender.
No man hath more love than this, that a man put his life for his friends.
Get
To become drawn in, entangled, or involved
Got into debt.
Get into a hassle.
Put
To set before one for judgment, acceptance, or rejection; to bring to the attention; to offer; to state; to express; figuratively, to assume; to suppose; - formerly sometimes followed by that introducing a proposition; as, to put a question; to put a case.
Let us now put that ye have leave.
Put the perception and you put the mind.
These verses, originally Greek, were put in Latin.
All this is ingeniously and ably put.
Get
(Informal) To depart immediately
Yelled at the dog to get.
Put
To incite; to entice; to urge; to constrain; to oblige.
These wretches put us upon all mischief.
Put me not use the carnal weapon in my own defense.
Thank him who puts me, loath, to this revenge.
Get
To work for gain or profit; make money
Do you feel as though you're exhausting yourself getting and not making enough for spending?.
Put
To throw or cast with a pushing motion "overhand," the hand being raised from the shoulder; a practice in athletics; as, to put the shot or weight.
Get
Progeny; offspring
A thoroughbred's get.
Put
To convey coal in the mine, as from the working to the tramway.
Put case that the soul after departure from the body may live.
Coming from thee, I could not put him back.
Mark, how a plain tale shall put you down.
Sugar hath put down the use of honey.
I hoped for a demonstration, but Themistius hoped to put me off with an harangue.
We might put him off with this answer.
For the certain knowledge of that truthI put you o'er to heaven and to my mother.
Get
Chiefly British Slang git2.
Put
To go or move; as, when the air first puts up.
Get
(Sports) A return, as in tennis, on a shot that seems impossible to reach.
Put
To steer; to direct one's course; to go.
His fury thus appeased, he puts to land.
Get
A document presented by a husband to his wife whereby a divorce is effected between them according to Jewish religious law.
Put
To play a card or a hand in the game called put.
Get
A divorce effected by a get.
Put
The option to sell a given stock (or stock index or commodity future) at a given price before a given date
Get
(ditransitive) To obtain; to acquire.
I'm going to get a computer tomorrow from the discount store.
Lance is going to get Mary a ring.
Put
Put into a certain place or abstract location;
Put your things here
Set the tray down
Set the dogs on the scent of the missing children
Place emphasis on a certain point
Get
(transitive) To receive.
I got a computer from my parents for my birthday.
You need to get permission to leave early.
He got a severe reprimand for that.
Put
Cause to be in a certain state; cause to be in a certain relation;
That song put me in awful good humor
Get
To have. See usage notes.
I've got a concert ticket for you.
Put
Formulate in a particular style or language;
I wouldn't put it that way
She cast her request in very polite language
Get
(transitive) To fetch, bring, take.
Can you get my bag from the living-room, please?
I need to get this to the office.
Put
Attribute or give;
She put too much emphasis on her the last statement
He put all his efforts into this job
The teacher put an interesting twist to the interpretation of the story
Get
(copulative) To become, or cause oneself to become.
I'm getting hungry; how about you?
I'm going out to get drunk.
Put
Make an investment;
Put money into bonds
Get
(transitive) To cause to become; to bring about.
That song gets me so depressed every time I hear it.
I'll get this finished by lunchtime.
I can't get these boots off (or on).
Put
Estimate;
We put the time of arrival at 8 P.M.
Get
(transitive) To cause to do.
Somehow she got him to agree to it.
I can't get it to work.
Put
Cause (someone) to undergo something;
He put her to the torture
Get
(transitive) To cause to come or go or move.
I got him to his room.
Put
Adapt;
Put these words to music
Get
To adopt, assume, arrive at, or progress towards (a certain position, location, state).
The actors are getting into position.
When are we going to get to London?
I'm getting into a muddle.
We got behind the wall.
Put
Arrange thoughts, ideas, temporal events, etc.;
Arrange my schedule
Set up one's life
I put these memories with those of bygone times
Get
(transitive) To cover (a certain distance) while travelling.
To get a mile
Put
To express or state in words.
How should I put this delicately?
Get
(intransitive) To begin (doing something or to do something).
We ought to get moving or we'll be late.
After lunch we got chatting.
I'm getting to like him better now.
Get
(transitive) To take or catch (a scheduled transportation service).
I normally get the 7:45 train.
I'll get the 9 a.m. [flight] to Boston.
Get
(transitive) To respond to (a telephone call, a doorbell, etc).
Can you get that call, please? I'm busy.
Get
To be able, be permitted, or have the opportunity (to do something desirable or ironically implied to be desirable).
I'm so jealous that you got to see them perform live!
The finders get to keep 80 percent of the treasure.
Great. I get to clean the toilets today.
Get
To be told; be the recipient of (a question, comparison, opinion, etc.).
"You look just like Helen Mirren." / "I get that a lot."
Get
(informal) To be. Used to form the passive of verbs.
He got bitten by a dog.
Get
(transitive) To become ill with or catch (a disease).
I went on holiday and got malaria.
Get
To catch out, trick successfully.
He keeps calling pretending to be my boss—it gets me every time.
Get
To perplex, stump.
That question's really got me.
Get
(transitive) To find as an answer.
What did you get for question four?
Get
To bring to reckoning; to catch (as a criminal); to effect retribution.
The cops finally got me.
I'm gonna get him for that.
Get
(transitive) To hear completely; catch.
Sorry, I didn't get that. Could you repeat it?
Get
(transitive) To getter.
I put the getter into the container to get the gases.
Get
To beget (of a father).
Get
(archaic) To learn; to commit to memory; to memorize; sometimes with out.
To get a lesson;
To get out one's Greek lesson
Get
Used with a personal pronoun to indicate that someone is being pretentious or grandiose.
Get her with her new hairdo.
Get
To go, to leave; to scram.
Get
(euphemism) To kill.
They’re coming to get you, Barbara.
Get
To make acquisitions; to gain; to profit.
Get
(transitive) To measure.
Did you get her temperature?
Get
(dated) Offspring.
Get
Lineage.
Get
A difficult return or block of a shot.
Get
(informal) Something gained; an acquisition.
Get
A git.
Get
(Judaism) A Jewish writ of divorce.
Get
Jet, the mineral.
Get
Fashion; manner; custom.
Get
Artifice; contrivance.
Get
Offspring; progeny; as, the get of a stallion.
Get
A divorce granted by a Rabbi in accordance with Jewish law; also, the document attesting to the divorce.
Get
To procure; to obtain; to gain possession of; to acquire; to earn; to obtain as a price or reward; to come by; to win, by almost any means; as, to get favor by kindness; to get wealth by industry and economy; to get land by purchase, etc.
Get
Hence, with have and had, to come into or be in possession of; to have.
Thou hast got the face of man.
Get
To beget; to procreate; to generate.
I had rather to adopt a child than get it.
Get
To obtain mental possession of; to learn; to commit to memory; to memorize; as to get a lesson; also with out; as, to get out one's Greek lesson.
It being harder with him to get one sermon by heart, than to pen twenty.
Get
To prevail on; to induce; to persuade.
Get him to say his prayers.
Get
To procure to be, or to cause to be in any state or condition; - with a following participle.
Those things I bid you do; get them dispatched.
Get
To betake; to remove; - in a reflexive use.
Get thee out from this land.
He . . . got himself . . . to the strong town of Mega.
Get
To make acquisition; to gain; to profit; to receive accessions; to be increased.
We mourn, France smiles; we lose, they daily get.
Get
To arrive at, or bring one's self into, a state, condition, or position; to come to be; to become; - with a following adjective or past participle belonging to the subject of the verb; as, to get sober; to get awake; to get beaten; to get elected.
To get rid of fools and scoundrels.
His chariot wheels get hot by driving fast.
Get
Come into the possession of something concrete or abstract;
She got a lot of paintings from her uncle
They acquired a new pet
Get your results the next day
Get permission to take a few days off from work
Get
Enter or assume a certain state or condition;
He became annoyed when he heard the bad news
It must be getting more serious
Her face went red with anger
She went into ecstasy
Get going!
Get
Cause to move; cause to be in a certain position or condition;
He got his squad on the ball
This let me in for a big surprise
He got a girl into trouble
Get
Receive a specified treatment (abstract);
These aspects of civilization do not find expression or receive an interpretation
His movie received a good review
I got nothing but trouble for my good intentions
Get
Reach a destination; arrive by movement or progress;
She arrived home at 7 o'clock
She didn't get to Chicago until after midnight
Get
Go or come after and bring or take back;
Get me those books over there, please
Could you bring the wine?
The dog fetched the hat
Get
Of mental or physical states or experiences;
Get an idea
Experience vertigo
Get nauseous
Undergo a strange sensation
The chemical undergoes a sudden change
The fluid undergoes shear
Receive injuries
Have a feeling
Get
Take vengeance on or get even;
We'll get them!
That'll fix him good!
This time I got him
Get
Achieve a point or goal;
Nicklaus had a 70
The Brazilian team got 4 goals
She made 29 points that day
Get
Cause to do; cause to act in a specified manner;
The ads induced me to buy a VCR
My children finally got me to buy a computer
My wife made me buy a new sofa
Get
Succeed in catching or seizing, especially after a chase;
We finally got the suspect
Did you catch the thief?
Get
Come to have or undergo a change of (physical features and attributes);
He grew a beard
The patient developed abdominal pains
I got funny spots all over my body
Well-developed breasts
Get
Be stricken by an illness, fall victim to an illness;
He got AIDS
She came down with pneumonia
She took a chill
Get
Communicate with a place or person; establish communication with, as if by telephone;
Bill called this number and he got Mary
The operator couldn't get Kobe because of the earthquake
Get
Give certain properties to something;
Get someone mad
She made us look silly
He made a fool of himself at the meeting
Don't make this into a big deal
This invention will make you a millionaire
Make yourself clear
Get
Move into a desired direction of discourse;
What are you driving at?
Get
Grasp with the mind or develop an undersatnding of;
Did you catch that allusion?
We caught something of his theory in the lecture
Don't catch your meaning
Did you get it?
She didn't get the joke
I just don't get him
Get
Attract and fix;
His look caught her
She caught his eye
Catch the attention of the waiter
Get
Reach with a blow or hit in a particular spot;
The rock caught her in the back of the head
The blow got him in the back
The punch caught him in the stomach
Get
Reach by calculation;
What do you get when you add up these numbers?
Get
Acquire as a result of some effort or action;
You cannot get water out of a stone
Where did she get these news?
Get
Purchase;
What did you get at the toy store?
Get
Perceive by hearing;
I didn't catch your name
She didn't get his name when they met the first time
Get
Suffer from the receipt of;
She will catch hell for this behavior!
Get
Receive as a retribution or punishment;
He got 5 years in prison
Get
Leave immediately; used usually in the imperative form;
Scram!
Get
Reach and board;
She got the bus just as it was leaving
Get
Irritate;
Her childish behavior really get to me
His lying really gets me
Get
Evoke an emotional response;
Brahms's `Requiem' gets me every time
Get
Apprehend and reproduce accurately;
She really caught the spirit of the place in her drawings
She got the mood just right in her photographs
Get
In baseball: earn or achieve a base by being walked by the pitcher;
He drew a base on balls
Get
Overcome or destroy;
The ice storm got my hibiscus
The cat got the goldfish
Get
Be a mystery or bewildering to;
This beats me!
Got me--I don't know the answer!
A vexing problem
This question really stuck me
Get
Take the first step or steps in carrying out an action;
We began working at dawn
Who will start?
Get working as soon as the sun rises!
The first tourists began to arrive in Cambodia
He began early in the day
Let's get down to work now
Get
Undergo (as of injuries and illnesses);
She suffered a fracture in the accident
He had an insulin shock after eating three candy bars
She got a bruise on her leg
He got his arm broken in the scuffle
Get
Make children;
Abraham begot Isaac
Men often father children but don't recognize them
Get
To obtain or receive.
I need to get some groceries from the store.
Get
To understand or comprehend.
Do you get what I’m saying?
Get
To reach or arrive at.
We need to get to the airport by 6 AM.
Get
To become or change state.
It’s getting dark outside.
Common Curiosities
What does get mean?
Get means to obtain or receive something.
Is get used for arriving somewhere?
Yes, get can mean to reach or arrive at a destination.
How does put differ from get?
Put means to place or position something, while get means to obtain or receive something.
Can get imply understanding?
Yes, get can mean to understand, as in "Do you get it?"
Can put be used for expressing words?
Yes, put can mean to express or state something in words, such as "How should I put this?"
Is put used in attributing something?
Yes, like "putting blame on someone."
Is get used for changing state?
Yes, get can imply changing state, such as "getting cold."
Does put have idiomatic uses?
Yes, such as "put up with" (tolerate) or "put off" (postpone).
Can get imply catching something?
Yes, like "getting a cold" or "getting a train."
Can put mean causing a state?
Yes, for example, "putting someone at ease."
Does put require a specific location?
Yes, it involves placing something in a specific spot.
Can put refer to applying something?
Yes, put can mean to apply something, like "putting on sunscreen."
Can get be used in requests?
Yes, such as "Can you get me a glass of water?"
Is get always about physical objects?
No, it can also refer to non-physical things like "getting an idea."
Can get and put be used together?
Yes, e.g., "Get the book and put it on the shelf."
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Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
Co-written by
Urooj ArifUrooj is a skilled content writer at Ask Difference, known for her exceptional ability to simplify complex topics into engaging and informative content. With a passion for research and a flair for clear, concise writing, she consistently delivers articles that resonate with our diverse audience.
