not put something past someone

Idioms & Phrases

not put something past someone

Consider someone capable of doing something, especially something bad. For example, I wouldn't put it past him to tell a lie or two. This expression uses past in the sense of "beyond." [Late 1800s]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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