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to put across

to put across

3 3.5
Make an idea or opinion clear so others understand
  • phrasal verb
  • /pʊt əˈkrɔs/
translation icon : transmitir
  • During the presentation, she worked hard to put across her ideas clearly and confidently.
  • put across the message
  • put across my ideas
  • try to put across

So the first message I want to put across is don't get too excited.

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Examples

  • I'm here to remind you that those aesthetic qualities had a purpose, and it was to put across stories that would instruct and please the audience.

  • Reading your comment reassured me that you got what I was trying to put across.

    Blog text (3)
  • We're all in this together, and I wanted to put across the general idea rather than the details.

  • We're here to put across our point of view about what's going on.

  • So the first message I want to put across is don't get too excited.

  • All I'm trying to put across here is different stories from people who've had real lives.

  • The President insulted, patronized, and mocked his opponent rather than put across a constructive argument.

    Blog text (11)
  • The message must be put across that AS is an intellectual inquiry that takes American culture and the values that define the culture as its central concern, using an interdisciplinary methodological approach.

    Academic text (1997)
  • More importantly, this was one example of many in which the President insulted, patronized, and mocked his opponent rather than put across a constructive argument.

    Blog text (28)
  • The difference is I don't think Tegan and Sara know that they're making it harder for some people to get the positive and interesting message they're trying to put across.

    Blog text (29)

Synonyms

to express
vsto put across
2.3

To show ideas and feelings by words or actions

focuses on effective verbal explanation rather than broader showing
to communicate
vsto put across
773 2.3

Share information, ideas, or feelings with someone

focuses specifically on effective understanding rather than general exchange
to make oneself clear
vsto put across
545 3.4

Say something so other people understand what you mean

is about being understood by ensuring meaning is obvious
to convey
vsto put across
199 3.4

To send information, ideas, or feelings to someone

is about clear success in helping ideas become understood rather than mere transfer
to spell out
vsto put across
79 3.5

To explain something clearly and in detail

prefers clear effectiveness over lengthy full explanations
to get across
vsto put across
67 3.0

Make an idea or message clear so other people understand it

is the everyday phrase stressing effective clear understanding
to clearly state
vsto put across
34 2.7

Say or write something so people have no doubt

focuses on effective understanding rather than avoiding ambiguity only
to set forth
vsto put across
  • Formal
29 4.2

To state something clearly in writing or speech

is used in everyday speech for clear practical understanding
to put over
vsto put across
  • UK
8 3.7

To explain an idea so people understand it

is used for clear effective explanation rather than formal presentation

Antonyms

266 1.9

Make someone unable to think clearly or make something hard to understand

A failure to share information clearly that causes misunderstanding

How Clearly

to spell out
79 3.5
to put across
3 3.5
to explain
1.0
to say
1.0
to hint
136 2.0

Surface Forms

put across infinitive
put across past
put across past participle
putting across present participle
puts across third person singular

Morphology

put + across

The meaning 'to communicate an idea effectively' can be partially inferred from 'put' (to express) combined with 'across' (to the other side), since the particle evokes transferring something to others. This motion-to-communication metaphor is common across languages but requires recognizing the phrasal-particle use, so the sense is somewhat figurative and only partially predictable to a B1 learner.

Etymology

Put across may come from the simple image of moving something from one side to the other: to put an idea across a space so it reaches someone. So, the phrase now means 'to communicate an idea clearly'.