Meanings
verbput pen to paper (third-person singular simple present puts pen to paper, present participle putting pen to paper, simple past and past participle put pen to paper)
present singular third person puts pen to paper · participle present putting pen to paper · alternative set pen to paper
- idiomaticintransitiveTo write something (especially using pen and ink).
- idiomaticintransitiveTo begin to write something.
"The Government's response indicates there is still some way to go before they will be ready to put pen to paper on a detailed plan."
2023 June 28, “Network News: Government challenged over inertia on decarbonisation”, in RAIL, number 986, page 19
Synonyms & antonyms
Also see
Translations
Chinese Mandarin 下筆 /下笔, 落筆 /落笔
- 下筆 /下笔 (xiàbǐ)to begin to write
- 落筆 /落笔 (luòbǐ)to begin to write
- 下筆 /下笔 (xiàbǐ)to write
- 落筆 /落笔 (luòbǐ)to write
Finnish tarttua kynään, kirjoittaa
- tarttua kynäänto begin to write
- kirjoittaato write
- kirjoittaa kynälläto write
German die Feder ansetzen, zu Papier bringen
- die Feder ansetzento begin to write
- zu Papier bringento write
Hungarian írni kezd, tollat ragad
- írni kezdto begin to write
- tollat ragadto write
Spanish esgrimir el lapicero, poner el lapicero a papel
- esgrimir el lapiceroto begin to write
- poner el lapicero a papelto begin to write
- esgrimir el lapiceroto write
- poner el lapicero a papelto write
Cite this entry
APA
put pen to paper. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/put%20pen%20to%20paper
MLA
“put pen to paper.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/put%20pen%20to%20paper. Accessed November 5, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “put pen to paper,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/put%20pen%20to%20paper.
Source: put pen to paper on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.