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Glite Dictionary
to pop the lid back

to pop the lid back

1 4.4
To put the lid back on a jar or container quickly
  • phrasal verb
  • Informal
: volver a tapar
  • As soon as she finished scooping the sugar, she popped the lid back on the jar.

Examples

  • He popped the lid back quickly so the soup wouldn't spill.

  • Don't forget to pop the lid back after using the sauce!

  • After checking the contents, they popped the lid back and put the box away.

  • Can you pop the lid back on the container?

  • After checking the contents, they popped the lid back on the jar to keep it fresh.

  • As soon as she finished pouring the grains, she popped the lid back to seal the container.

  • Remember to pop the lid back on the milk after you pour it.

Synonyms

to cork up
vsto pop the lid back
1 4.9

Close a bottle by putting a plug into its opening

focuses on replacing the container cover quickly rather than sealing by insertion
to recork
vsto pop the lid back
1 5.3

To put a cork back into a bottle to close it after opening

replaces the container cover quickly rather than focusing on sealing with a stopper

Surface Forms

pop the lid back infinitive
popping the lid back present participle
pops the lid back third person singular
popped the lid back past
popped the lid back past participle

Morphology

pop + the + lid + back

The meaning 'to quickly replace the lid' is directly built from 'pop' (a quick, sudden movement), 'lid' (a removable top), and 'back' (to return/replace). This is a straightforward compositional construction (quick action + object + back = put the object back) that is common in English and readily inferable by a B1 learner who knows the constituent words.

Etymology

The phrase pop the lid back comes from the quick action of closing a jar: you press the lid and it pops back into place. So, it means 'to quickly replace the lid on a container or jar'.