Phrase guide

come in

verb · 23 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • kŭm′ ĭn′
  • UK: /ˌkʌm ˈɪn/
  • UK: [ˌkhɐm ˈɪn]
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • US: /ˌkʌm ˈɪn/
  • US: [ˌkhʌm ˈɪn]

1

verb

Meaning 1

To enter.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • Please come in and look around.
  • Come in, it's cold outside.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To arrive.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • That flight just came in.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

To become relevant, applicable, or useful.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • The third stage of the plan is where Team B comes in.
  • 1889, Thomas Huxley, in Popular Science Monthly; part of the "Agnosticism controversy", Agnosticism: A Rejoinder As I have shown, "infidel" merely means somebody who does not believe what you believe yourself, and therefore Dr. Wace has a perfect right to call, say, my old Egyptian donkey-driver, Nooleh, and myself, infidels, just as Nooleh and I have a right to call him an infidel. The ludicrous aspect of the thing comes in only when either of us demands that the two others should so label themselves.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

To become available.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • Blueberries will be coming in next month.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

verb

Meaning 5

To have a strong enough signal to be able to be received well.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Qualifier: such as radio or television

Examples

  • Most of the neighbors get 14 channels, but only two of them come in well here.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

verb

Meaning 6

To join or enter; to begin playing with a group.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: entertainment, lifestyle, music

Examples

  • They started together, but the drummer came in late.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

verb

Meaning 7

To enter a plan or group; to join in.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: informal

Examples

  • Near-synonym: come across

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: come across

Antonyms: none provided

8

verb

Meaning 8

To surrender; to turn oneself in.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • Near-synonym: come across
  • to come in from the cold

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: come across

Antonyms: none provided

9

verb

Meaning 9

To yield or surrender.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: give in, give up

Antonyms: none provided

10

verb

Meaning 10

To begin transmitting.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: imperative, often

Examples

  • This is Charlie 456 to base. Come in, base. Do you read me?

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

11

verb

Meaning 11

To function in the indicated manner.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • Four-wheel drive sure came in handy while the bridge was washed out.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

12

verb

Meaning 12

To finish a race or similar competition in a particular position, such as first place, second place, or the like.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • The horse I had bet on came in fourth in the second race.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

13

verb

Meaning 13

To finish a race or similar competition in first place.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • My horse came in in the first race.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

14

verb

Meaning 14

To rise.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • The tide will come in in an hour.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: go out

15

verb

Meaning 15

To become fashionable.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • Orange blouses are coming in!

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

16

verb

Meaning 16

To fully develop.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

17

verb

Meaning 17

To report to a workplace for a shift.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

18

verb

Meaning 18

To be correctly placed in preparation for printing.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: obsolete

Topics: media, printing, publishing

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

19

verb

Meaning 19

take a place in a competition; often followed by an ordinal

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • Jerry came in third in the Marathon

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: place, come out

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: rank

20

verb

Meaning 20

to insert between other elements

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • She interjected clever remarks

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: interject, interpose, put in, throw in, inject

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: interrupt, disrupt, break up, cut off

21

verb

Meaning 21

be received

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • News came in of the massacre in Rwanda

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: come

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: arrive, get, come

22

verb

Meaning 22

to come or go into

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the boat entered an area of shallow marshes

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: enter, get into, get in, go into, go in, move into

Antonyms: none provided

Narrower terms: take the field, penetrate, perforate, re-enter, file in, pop in, walk in, call at, out in, take water, turn in, board, get on, intrude, irrupt, intrude on, invade, obtrude upon, encroach upon, dock

23

verb

Meaning 23

come into fashion; become fashionable

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: go out

Broader terms: change

History

Etymology

From Middle English com in, imperative form of Middle English incomen (“to come in; enter”), from Old English incuman (“to come in; enter”), from Proto-Germanic *inkwemaną (“to come in; enter”), equivalent to come + in. Compare Dutch kom in (“come in”), singular imperative form of inkomen (“to come in; enter”), German einkommen (“to come in; enter”). See also income, incoming.

Across languages

Translations

18 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Finnish: astua kuvaan — to become relevant, applicable or useful
  • German: ins Spiel kommen — to become relevant, applicable or useful
  • Russian: вступа́ть (vstupátʹ) — to become relevant, applicable or useful
  • Russian: вступи́ть (vstupítʹ) — to become relevant, applicable or useful
  • Finnish: tulla — to become available
  • Finnish: kuulua — of a broadcast, such to have a strong enough signal
  • Finnish: näkyä — of a broadcast, such to have a strong enough signal
  • Finnish: tulla mukaan — music: to join or enter
  • Finnish: tulla mukaan — informal: to enter a plan or group; to join in
  • Finnish: antautua — to surrender; to turn oneself in
  • Finnish: vastata — to begin transmitting
  • Finnish: olla tarpeen — to function in the indicated manner
  • Finnish: tulla — to finish a race or similar competition in a particular position
  • Finnish: tulla — to finish a race or similar competition in first place
  • Finnish: nousta — of the tide: to rise
  • Finnish: tulla muotiin — to become fashionable
  • Finnish: kypsyä — to fully develop
  • Finnish: tulla töihin — to report to a workplace for a shift