Cool MatePut out material vs Suppress
When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.
Put out material
Suppress
| Put out material | Suppress | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | 🇬🇧 //pʊt aʊt//🇺🇸 //pʊt aʊt// | 🇬🇧 /["/səˈpres/","/səˈpresɪz/","/səˈprest/","/səˈpresɪŋ/"]/🇺🇸 /["/səˈpres/","/səˈpresɪz/","/səˈprest/","/səˈpresɪŋ/"]/ |
| Meaning | To make something unavailable or to take action to deal with a situation. | To stop something from happening or being expressed. |
| Example | The firefighters worked hard to put out the raging fire. | The government tried to suppress the political dissent during the protests. |
| Register | Neutral | Formal |
| How common | Top 2,000 (common) | Top 3,000 (common) |
| CEFR level | - | C1 |
| Part of speech | verb | |
| Collocations | put out a fire, put out an announcement, put out a statement | brutally, ruthlessly, violently, attempt to, seek to, try to, an attempt to suppress something, completely, effectively, deliberately, attempt to, seek to, try to, an attempt to suppress something, barely, hardly, instantly, be unable to, cannot, try to |
| Antonyms | - | express, release, unleash |
| Common mistakes | Confused with 'take out', which refers to removing something instead., Using 'put out' without an object - it usually needs something to be 'put out'. | Confused with 'repress' — 'suppress' means to stop something actively, while 'repress' means to hold back feelings., Using 'suppress' without an object — always specify what is being suppressed, like information or emotions., Mixing up 'suppress' with 'sustain' — 'sustain' means to maintain, while 'suppress' means to stop. |
| Usage notes | Use 'put out' when discussing extinguishing fires or making something public. Avoid in formal writing. | This word is typically used in formal contexts. It can refer to controlling emotions, information, or actions. Avoid using it in casual conversations. |
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Frequently asked questions: Put out material vs Suppress
What's the difference between Put out material and Suppress?
Put out material: To make something unavailable or to take action to deal with a situation. Suppress: To stop something from happening or being expressed.
Which is more formal: Put out material and Suppress?
Suppress is the most formal of these.
Which is more common: Put out material and Suppress?
Put out material is the most common in everyday English.
Can you show an example of each?
Put out material: The firefighters worked hard to put out the raging fire. Suppress: The government tried to suppress the political dissent during the protests.
Can I use Put out material and Suppress interchangeably?
Not always. Put out material and Suppress are related and overlap in some contexts, but they differ in register, how common they are, and usage, so swapping one for another can change the meaning or tone. Check the differences above before substituting.