insert
Americanverb (used with object)
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inserts,
present (3rd person singular)
-
inserted,
past participle, past
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inserting
present participle
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to put or place in.
to insert a key in a lock.
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to introduce or cause to be introduced into the body of something.
to insert an extra paragraph in an article.
noun
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inserts
plural
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something inserted or to be inserted.
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an extra leaf or section, printed independently, for binding or tipping into a book or periodical, especially a leaf or section consisting of an illustration or advertisement printed on different paper.
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any small picture, device, etc., surrounded partly or completely by body type.
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a paper, circular, etc., placed within the folds of a newspaper or the leaves of a book, periodical, etc.
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Movies, Radio and Television. cut-in
verb
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to put in or between; introduce
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to introduce, as into text, such as a newspaper; interpolate
noun
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something inserted
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a folded section placed in another for binding in with a book
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a printed sheet, esp one bearing advertising, placed loose between the leaves of a book, periodical, etc
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-
another word for cut in
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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inserternoun
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interinsertverb (used with object)
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preinsertverb (used with object)
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reinsertverb (used with object)
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subinsertverb (used with object)
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insertableadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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insertsimple
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insertssimple
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have insertedperfect
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has insertedperfect
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am insertingprogressive
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are insertingprogressive
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is insertingprogressive
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have been insertingperfect progressive
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has been insertingperfect progressive
Past
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insertedsimple
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had insertedperfect
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was insertingprogressive
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were insertingprogressive
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had been insertingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of insert
First recorded in 1520–30; from Latin insertus, past participle of inserere “to put in, insert,” equivalent to in- “in” + ser- (stem of serere “to link together”) + -tus past participle suffix; see in- 2
Explanation
When you insert something or someone, you put it into something else. You could insert yourself into a conversation, or you could insert a comma into the sentence you just wrote. The verb insert comes from the Latin in-, meaning “into,” and serere, meaning "to join." When you insert yourself into a conversation, you’re joining in, whether your friends want you to or not. Insert can also mean to fit snugly into, or to tuck. You might fit a card into an envelope that fits it perfectly, or insert first one leg and then another into a pair of tights.
Vocabulary lists containing insert
STAAR English I: The Language of the Test 1
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STAAR English II: The Language of the Test 1
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Unit 2: Pivotal Words and Phrases
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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.
See Examples For:
It has invested in Italian company D-Orbit, which offers services to insert satellites into orbit, and Skeleton, an Estonian maker of energy-storage devices designed for fast charging and discharging.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
They are currently trying to insert an amendment into the Railways Bill.
From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2026
And for the simplest possible showstopper, Frieda’s Hulas Ready-to-Drink Coconuts come peeled and prepped with a tool that lets you open them and insert a straw in seconds.
From Salon ● Jul. 12, 2026
It was decided to bury the objects rather than insert them in a statue.
From Barron's ● Jul. 2, 2026
Sophie holds open the mail slot, and we insert our makeshift spout.
From "Linked" by Gordon Korman
The draft communique inserts previously unused language targeting "freedom of navigation in and overflight above straits" while separately calling for "unimpeded" passage through the Strait of Hormuz.
From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026
Instead of spending the money on a pricey establishing shot of the car driving on the 101, Wain inserts a brief vintage clip of a ’70s-era taxi, humming along the road.
From Salon ● Jul. 12, 2026
And a Finnish project called Fold2 has explored using intricately folded cardboard to make packaging inserts designed to protect products during shipping.
From BBC ● Mar. 3, 2026
And there’s inserts and close-ups sometimes, but I feel very confident in the way that we stage and we block the scene.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 27, 2026
Smaller than a pack of gum, Mind’s Eye attaches to the base of the skull and inserts microfilaments into the brain.
From "We Are the Ants" by Shaun David Hutchinson
Other items have also been known to be inserted into a skinsuit around the chest area to smooth airflow around the body.
From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2026
And earlier on Sunday, Young had inserted himself into the mix to finish at 9-under.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 19, 2026
A year later, Congress inserted a significant carbon capture subsidy into the tax code — though it didn’t require coal plants to adopt it.
From Salon ● Jun. 26, 2026
Like them, Farage has inserted himself into the gap.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 22, 2026
When he had closed it up, he had inserted three hairs into the zip, trapping them in the metal teeth.
From "Stormbreaker" by Anthony Horowitz
Spend enough years standing behind pyramids of hamburgers, posing at fry stations and inserting yourself into the iconography of American restaurant chains, and eventually the props begin to accrue meanings of their own.
From Salon ● Aug. 12, 2026
It involves inserting electrodes made of materials such as zinc and copper into substances that contain moisture or ions, and then collecting the small but steady electrical currents.
From Barron's ● Aug. 5, 2026
Usually, treatment involves inserting a needle into the womb to either drain some of the fluid or seal blood vessels using a laser.
From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026
Intentional or not, no one could blame the 20-year-old for inserting an earnest request for audiences to proceed with kindness as she readies her debut album, which finally landed Friday.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 29, 2026
“All right,” Jack’s grandfather said, inserting himself between the two of them, stopping Jack’s return pinch in a very unsatisfying way.
From "Half Upon a Time" by James Riley
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.
