Definition

1. Verb (transitive):
   • To cause someone or something to begin working or to be employed in a task: The phrase means to make someone start doing a job or to utilize something for a specific purpose or function.

Usage

• This phrasal verb is used to describe the action of assigning work, engaging a resource, or setting something into operation.
• It often implies applying effort or putting something into practical use.

Examples

• Verb:
  • The manager decided to put the new intern to work on the filing system immediately.
  • We need to put this software to work to analyze the data more efficiently.
  • During the harvest, farmers put every available hand to work.

Advanced Usage

• "to put one's knowledge/skills to work": to apply one's knowledge or abilities to a practical task.

  • After years of study, she was eager to put her engineering skills to work on real-world problems.

• "to put a theory/idea to work": to test or implement a concept in a practical setting.

  • The researchers aimed to put their innovative theory to work in the laboratory.

Variants and Related Words

• Employ (verb): to give a job to someone or to make use of something.
  • The company will employ new strategies next quarter.
• Utilize (verb): to make practical and effective use of something.
  • The team found a way to utilize the old equipment.
• Deploy (verb): to bring into effective action; to position resources.
  • The agency will deploy additional staff to the region.

Synonyms

• Set to work: to cause or instruct someone to start working.
• Assign: to allocate a task or job to someone.
• Engage: to employ or involve someone in an activity.

Related Phrasal Verbs

• Put in work: to devote effort or time to a task (often implies sustained effort).

  • She put in a lot of work to prepare for the presentation.

• Put out to work (less common): can imply sending someone out to find work or assigning work externally.

  • The agency puts people out to work in various temporary positions.

Related Idioms

• Put your shoulder to the wheel: to start working hard at a task.

  • If we all put our shoulders to the wheel, we can finish this project on time.

• Put your nose to the grindstone: to work hard and steadily.

  • He put his nose to the grindstone and studied for the exam all week.

Verb

1. cause to work
   • he is working his servants hard