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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.

For Dimon, it’s inflation that’s the wild card in the current environment.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 6, 2026

Hosseiny came to the U.S. on a student visa and was also granted asylum in 2019, then got her green card in 2023, Bis said.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 6, 2026

Bush took out a credit card in her late teens to pay for a trip to Rome in instalments.

From BBC • Mar. 25, 2026

João Klauss scores, but the Galaxy fail to find the net again after Kamal Miller draws a red card in the first half of a 1-1 draw with Portland.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 24, 2026

He held it up before his eyes and then dropped the card in his lap.

From "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck

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