put to bed

Idioms and Phrases

Complete something and either set it aside or send it on to the next step, as in We put the magazine to bed at ten , or They said they'd put the whole project to bed at least a month ago . This expression, transferring nighttime retirement to other kinds of completion, was first applied to a newspaper, where it meant “send to press,” that is, start to print. [Mid-1900s]

Example Sentences

My master was put to-bed; he was alive, but not able to speak.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• accomplish
• achieve
• close
• conclude
• determine
• develop
• do
• end
• execute
• finalize
• finish
• halt
• perform
• realize
• settle
• wrap up