card in

Idioms

Sign in to one's place of business by use of a magnetic card, as in I told him I'd card in for him if he was late tomorrow. Similarly, card out means to sign out of one's place of business, as in I want to sneak out early, so could you please card out for me at the end of the day? This term arose in the 1940s with the invention of automated check-in systems.

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.

Once Williams committed to playing doubles, Wimbledon all but dangled a singles wild card in front of Williams’s face.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 22, 2026

India looks like the wild card in the global fertilizer picture, as its peak planting season comes with the June-July monsoon.

From Barron's • Jun. 18, 2026

Spouses should have at least one card in their own name so that the ability to use credit is not suspended in the event of the other’s death, he said.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 10, 2026

The previous record amount spent on a Wembanyama card was $860,100 paid for his rookie Panini Prism Nebula Choice one-of-one card in early 2025, according to Fanatics Collect.

From Los Angeles Times • May 27, 2026

Twisting the corner of Uncle Drum’s credit card in the gap between her front teeth.

From "The Truth as Told by Mason Buttle" by Leslie Connor

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023