Put up with means you tolerate something unpleasant or annoying, often because you cannot easily stop it right now.
People use this phrase when patience is involved. A problem exists, but the person chooses not to challenge it yet.
"I've been putting up with a slow laptop for three months because IT keeps deprioritizing the ticket."
"She put up with constant interruptions during the call before finally asking everyone to mute."
What makes "put up with" different from "accept" or "handle"
Accept is more neutral here and can mean agreeing with something reasonable. Put up with is different because the thing is usually unwanted. Tolerating it has a cost, even if that cost is only patience.
Handle focuses on managing a situation, while put up with means enduring it. The phrase does not mean you fixed the problem.
"I can handle a difficult client." (I have the skill to manage this.)
"I put up with a difficult client for two years before management changed the account." (I tolerated it, without much control over ending it.)
That difference matters in professional writing. Saying you "handled" a bad situation suggests skill, while saying you "put up with" it describes endurance. It may also suggest that you want a change.
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Put up with is a three-part phrasal verb, so its object goes at the end rather than in the middle.
Correct form:
"I can't put up with this noise anymore."
Incorrect form:
"I can't put this noise up with anymore."
This differs from two-part phrasal verbs such as turn down, whose object can sometimes go in the middle. You can say "turn the offer down" or "turn down the offer." With put up with, use this pattern: put up with + object.
Common mistakes
Mistake 1: Using it for something you actually enjoy or agree with.
Wrong example:
"I put up with the flexible schedule here." (This sounds like the schedule is a burden.)
Better example:
"I appreciate the flexible schedule here."
Mistake 2: Breaking the phrase apart.
Wrong example:
"I won't put this behavior up with."
Correct example:
"I won't put up with this behavior."
Mistake 3: Using it in overly formal writing where a milder word fits better.
Put up with fits speech and casual writing, but tolerate often sounds better in a formal complaint or policy.
"The team will no longer tolerate repeated missed deadlines without notice." (formal)
"Honestly, we've put up with missed deadlines for too long." (spoken, more direct)
Practice scenarios
Practice using put up with in these situations.
- describing a recurring annoyance you've tolerated at work, like a broken tool or a noisy environment
- explaining your limit — what you will and won't keep tolerating
- talking about a difficult coworker or client relationship you managed for a while without escalating
- signaling, diplomatically, that patience is running out
Useful practice phrases:
- "I've been putting up with... but I think it's time to raise it."
- "I can put up with [X] for now, but not long-term."
- "We shouldn't have to put up with..."
- "How long have you been putting up with this?"
Lyra Practice helps advanced non-native English professionals learn the nuance of high-value workplace expressions and practice using them in realistic scenarios, so their English sounds natural, precise, and senior at work. Try Lyra Practice.