Dictionary

come in en · VERB

Pronunciation

• [ˌkʰɐm ˈɪn] (UK)
• /ˌkʌm ˈɪn/ (UK)
• /ˌkʌm ˈɪn/ (US)
• kŭm′ ĭn′
• (Southern-England) audio
• [ˌkʰʌm ˈɪn] (US)

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.

Meanings

1. To enter.
   • Please come in and look around.
   • Come in, it's cold outside.
2. To arrive.
   • That flight just came in.
3. To become relevant, applicable, or useful.
   • 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.
4. To become available.
   • Blueberries will be coming in next month.
5. (of a broadcast, qualifier:such as radio or television) To have a strong enough signal to be able to be received well.
   • Most of the neighbors get 14 channels, but only two of them come in well here.
6. To join or enter; to begin playing with a group.
   • They started together, but the drummer came in late.
7. (informal) To enter a plan or group; to join in.
   • Near-synonym: come across
8. (of a fugitive or a person in hiding) To surrender; to turn oneself in.
   • Every police officer and agent in New York City is gunning for you. If you come in now, I can guarantee your safety. 2006, G. D. McCrary, Guerrillas in the Midst, page 352:
   • Near-synonym: come across
   • to come in from the cold
9. (intransitive) To yield or surrender.
10. (imperative, often) To begin transmitting.
    • This is Charlie 456 to base. Come in, base. Do you read me?
11. To function in the indicated manner.
    • Four-wheel drive sure came in handy while the bridge was washed out.
12. To finish a race or similar competition in a particular position, such as first place, second place, or the like.
    • The horse I had bet on came in fourth in the second race.
13. To finish a race or similar competition in first place.
    • My horse came in in the first race.
14. (of the tide) To rise.
    • The tide will come in in an hour.
15. To become fashionable.
    • Orange blouses are coming in!
    • During the summer of 1984 there had been a backlash against labels in Portsmouth and a more simple style came in. 2003, Phil Thornton, Casuals: The Story of a Terrace Cult:
16. To fully develop.
    • “Everyone says that you should wait, because your body doesn’t fully come in until you’re like 30, and I’m 20 years old, and why am I going to wait until I’m 30 to be snatched?” Catera Northup, an exotic dancer from Rhode Island, said. 2022 May 11, Sandra E. Garcia, “Butt Lifts Are Booming. Healing Is No Joke.”, in The New York Times Magazine, archived from the original on 19 May 2022:
17. (intransitive) To report to a workplace for a shift.
18. (obsolete, of a copy) To be correctly placed in preparation for printing.

Forms

Antonyms

go out

Deriveds

come in from the cold

Relateds

go in

Synonyms

come across · give in · give up · come across

Translations (18)

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