come in
Britishverb
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to enter, used in the imperative when admitting a person
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to prove to be
it came in useful
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to become fashionable or seasonable
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cricket to begin an innings
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sport to finish a race (in a certain position)
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(of a politician or political party) to win an election
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radio television to be received
news is coming in of a big fire in Glasgow
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(of money) to be received as income
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to play a role; advance one's interests
where do I come in?
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(foll by for) to be the object of
the Chancellor came in for a lot of criticism in the Commons
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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]
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Also, come in on . Join an enterprise, as in Do you want to come in on our venture? [Mid-1800s]
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Be one of those who finish a contest or race, as in My horse came in last . [Late 1800s]
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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 .
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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.
Announcements over recent months that artificial intelligence models have cracked previously unsolvable problems are shaking to the core top-level mathematicians, who are now asking themselves: where do we come in?
From Barron's ● Oct. 20, 2026
Like precious gemstones, galaxies come in many shapes and sizes, each with characteristics that tell a story about its history.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 20, 2026
But when you are successful, first financially and afterward, the wolves come in to find a problem.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 18, 2026
Wirtz has come in for criticism amid his struggles to replicate the form which persuaded the Reds to pay Bayer Leverkusen what was a club record £116m in June 2025.
From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026
I would hasten to add that she was a very serious-looking owl, but I’m not sure if owls come in any other variety.
From "The Very, Very Far North" by Dan Bar-el
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
