come in
Britishverb
-
to enter, used in the imperative when admitting a person
-
to prove to be
it came in useful
-
to become fashionable or seasonable
-
cricket to begin an innings
-
sport to finish a race (in a certain position)
-
(of a politician or political party) to win an election
-
radio television to be received
news is coming in of a big fire in Glasgow
-
(of money) to be received as income
-
to play a role; advance one's interests
where do I come in?
-
(foll by for) to be the object of
the Chancellor came in for a lot of criticism in the Commons
-
Arrive, become available for use or begin to produce, as in Has the new fall line come in yet? or The latest reports are coming in now , or This well has just begun to come in . [Late 1800s]
-
Also, come in on . Join an enterprise, as in Do you want to come in on our venture? [Mid-1800s]
-
Be one of those who finish a contest or race, as in My horse came in last . [Late 1800s]
-
Perform or function, as in This mixer comes in very handy , or Where does my department come in? [Late 1800s] Also see come in handy .
-
Enter into an account, issue, or list, as in Where does this question come in? or Please explain where in this long process I come in . This usage dates from Shakespeare's time and appears in The Tempest (2:1): “Widow? A pox on that! How came that widow in?” Also see subsequent entries beginning with come in ; come into ; this is where I came in .
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Most payments will come in the form of sensitive military technology, weapons parts or other materials, the think tank estimates.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 8, 2026
"During the regular season, you've got people who just come into games, it's a thing to do. Tourists come in," Swann said.
From Barron's • Jun. 8, 2026
The latest jobs report was exactly that test — and whether the Federal Reserve can resist reaching for the handcuffs when the data come in strong.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 6, 2026
"It's really fun to watch the fans come in and be like: 'yep they are here for Digital Circus'."
From BBC • Jun. 5, 2026
My father clapped his hands and acted as if I had come in first instead of last.
From "Black Star, Bright Dawn" by Scott O'Dell
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
