chip in
Britishverb
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to contribute (money, time, etc) to a cause or fund
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(intr) to interpose a remark or interrupt with a remark
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Contribute money, help, or advice, as in If we all chip in we'll have enough to buy a suitable gift , or Everyone chipped in with ideas for the baby shower . Mark Twain used this term in Roughing It (1872): “I'll be there and chip in and help, too.” [Mid-1800s]
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In poker and other games, to put up chips or money as one's bet. For example, I'll chip in another hundred but that's my limit or, as Bret Harte put it in Gabriel Conroy (1876): “You've jest cut up thet rough with my higher emotions, there ain't enough left to chip in on a ten-cent ante.” [Mid-1800s]
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.
More men than ever are taking care of their elders, and as the massive baby boomer generation gets older, everyone will have to chip in.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 30, 2026
The chip in the ball will indicate which player touched the ball last, which should enable the VAR to check if a corner was the correct decision as part of new powers.
From BBC ● Jun. 2, 2026
Inflation and high gas prices have Americans rethinking Memorial Day weekend festivities—from how far to drive to whether guests should chip in.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 23, 2026
The company also said it would see $2 billion in revenue from a new home-made chip in fiscal years 2027 and 2028 combined, twice its previous estimate.
From Barron's ● May 6, 2026
He’s that kind of guy, always willing to chip in with some music.
From "Every Day" by David Levithan
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.
