come in

British  

verb

1. to enter, used in the imperative when admitting a person

2. to prove to be

   it came in useful

3. to become fashionable or seasonable

4. cricket to begin an innings

5. sport to finish a race (in a certain position)

6. (of a politician or political party) to win an election

7. radio television to be received

   news is coming in of a big fire in Glasgow

8. (of money) to be received as income

9. to play a role; advance one's interests

   where do I come in?

10. (foll by for) to be the object of

    the Chancellor came in for a lot of criticism in the Commons

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come in Idioms  

1. 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]

2. Also, come in on . Join an enterprise, as in Do you want to come in on our venture? [Mid-1800s]

3. Be one of those who finish a contest or race, as in My horse came in last . [Late 1800s]

4. 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 .

5. 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 .

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Example Sentences

The vaccine didn't come in time for Laine Lewis's son Malachi, now 12 years old.

From BBC • Apr. 17, 2026

“I would think of my profile as sort of a really cute living room/open garden. And people could come in and have a little cafecito, or a little tea and listen to poetry,” Martínez said.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 17, 2026

The company’s first-quarter results come in its first earnings report after walking away from a deal to buy Warner Bros.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026

NBC/Versant’s performance represented a huge spike for the combined companies, which had come in fourth in January, drawing an 8.5% viewership share.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 14, 2026

My father clapped his hands and acted as if I had come in first instead of last.

From "Black Star, Bright Dawn" by Scott O'Dell

Related Words

• appear
• arrive
• finish
• reach
• show up