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put it past

B2 informal inseparable transitive

Used in negative constructions to say that you believe someone is capable of a particular (usually negative) action.

In plain English

When you say you 'wouldn't put it past' someone, you mean you think they could easily do something bad or surprising.

What does "put it past" mean?

One main meaning — here's how to use it.

1 B2 idiomatic informal

To believe that someone is capable of doing something bad, dishonest, or surprising (nearly always in the negative form 'wouldn't put it past').

"I wouldn't put it past him to lie about the whole thing just to avoid trouble."

inseparable
Usage tip

Almost always used in the negative: 'I wouldn't put it past him/her/them.' The positive form is extremely rare. The subject is typically 'I' and the object is a person. Very common in spoken English.

Words that pair with "put it past"

Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.

him her them someone politicians management

How to conjugate "put it past"

The five tense forms you'll use most often.

Base
put it past
I/you/we/they
3rd person
puts it past
he/she/it
Past simple
put it past
yesterday
Past participle
put it past
have + pp
-ing form
putting it past
continuous

Hear "put it past" in the wild

Listen to native speakers using "put it past" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.

Other ways to say "put it past"

Swap in when you want variety — tap a linked one to explore it.

believe able to expect of think capable of wouldn't surprise me

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