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.
Academic research has shown that IPOs tend to come in industry clusters, and that companies listing later in a cycle don’t tend to perform as well.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 1, 2026
That is where companies like Encord come in.
From Los Angeles Times • May 31, 2026
The container had also come in via Durban's harbour.
From BBC • May 30, 2026
"If you finish seeding at 8pm at night and you come in the next day, you'll have rows of crop missing."
From BBC • May 30, 2026
More texts come in, too, from the rest of our family, but I silence my phone.
From "Keeping Pace" by Laurie Morrison
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.
