come
Americanverb (used without object)
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comes,
present (3rd person singular)
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came,
past
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come,
past participle
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coming
present participle
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to approach or move toward a particular person or place: Don't come any closer!
Come here.
Don't come any closer!
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to arrive by movement or in the course of progress.
The train from Boston is coming.
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to approach or arrive in time, in succession, etc.: I'll come to your question next.
Christmas comes once a year.
I'll come to your question next.
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to move into view; appear.
A gorgeous rainbow came over the valley.
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The dress comes to her knees.
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Success comes to those who strive.
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to occur at a certain point, position, etc.: Her aria comes in the third act.
Tuesday comes after Monday.
Her aria comes in the third act.
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to be available, produced, offered, etc..
Toothpaste comes in a tube.
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to occur to the mind.
The idea just came to me.
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to befall.
They promised no harm would come to us.
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to issue; emanate: be derived.
Peaches come from trees. Good results do not come from careless work.
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to arrive or appear as a result.
This comes of carelessness.
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to enter or be brought into a specified state or condition.
to come into popular use.
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to do or manage; fare.
She's coming along well with her work.
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to enter into being or existence; be born.
The baby came at dawn.
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to have been a resident or to be a native of (usually followed byfrom ).
She comes from Florida.
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to become.
His shoes came untied.
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to seem to become.
His fears made the menacing statues come alive. The work will come easy with a little practice.
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(used in the imperative to call attention or to express impatience, anger, remonstrance, etc.).
Come, that will do!
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to germinate, as grain.
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Slang: Vulgar. to have an orgasm.
verb (used with object)
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comes,
present (3rd person singular)
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came,
past
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come,
past participle
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coming
present participle
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Chiefly British. to do; perform; accomplish.
Please don't ask me to carry in one more box—I just can't come it.
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Informal. to play the part of.
to come the grande dame.
noun
verb phrase
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come under
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to fit into a category or classification.
This play comes under the heading of social criticism.
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to be the province or responsibility of.
This matter comes under the State Department.
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come across
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Also come upon. to find or encounter, especially by chance: We suddenly came upon a deer while walking in the woods.
I came across this picture when I was cleaning out the attic.
We suddenly came upon a deer while walking in the woods.
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Informal. to make good one's promise, as to pay a debt, do what is expected, etc..
to come across with the rent.
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to be understandable or convincing.
The moral of this story doesn't come across.
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Informal. to make a particular impression; comport oneself.
She comes across as a very cold person.
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come upon. come.
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come again (used as a request to repeat a statement).
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How did he ever come by so much money?
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come forward to offer one's services; present oneself; volunteer.
When the president called for volunteers, several members of our group came forward.
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come up
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to rise.
The sun came up and the fog burned off.
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to be referred to; arise.
The subject kept coming up in conversation.
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to be presented for action or discussion.
The farm bill comes up for consideration next Monday.
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to mature or learn, or to rise in rank.
They are mostly looking at those major league players who come up through the minors.
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Slang. hail from or grow up in.
When you come up in the ’hood, you learn to value loyalty.
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come out
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to be published; appear.
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to become known; be revealed.
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to make a debut in society, the theater, etc.
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to end; terminate.
The fight came out badly, as both combatants were injured.
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to acknowledge and publicly reveal a sexual orientation or gender identity that does not conform to socially defined norms.
After an unsuccessful five-year marriage to a man, I finally came out as a lesbian.
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to publicly acknowledge a surprising interest or hobby, or to identify in an unexpected way as part of a fandom, a supporter of a particular political party, etc.: She came out as a fan of reality TV .
I haven’t come out as a Trekkie to my coworkers yet.
She came out as a fan of reality TV
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come in for to receive; get; be subjected to.
This plan will no doubt come in for a great deal of criticism.
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come over
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to happen to; affect.
What's come over him?
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to change sides or positions; change one's mind.
He was initially against the plan, but he's come over now.
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to visit informally.
Our neighbors came over last night and we had a good chat.
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come down on / upon
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to voice one's opposition to.
She came down on increased spending and promised to cut the budget.
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to reprimand; scold.
He came down on me for getting to work late.
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come between to cause to be estranged or antagonized.
Love of money came between the brothers.
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come up with to produce; supply.
Can you come up with the right answer?
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come out for to endorse or support publicly.
The newspaper came out for the reelection of the mayor.
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come to
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to recover consciousness.
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to amount to; total.
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Nautical. to take the way off a vessel, slowing or stopping its movement, as by bringing its head into the wind or anchoring.
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come on
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Also come upon. to meet or find unexpectedly.
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to appear on stage; make one's entrance.
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to begin; appear.
The last showing will be coming on in a few minutes.
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Informal. (used chiefly in the imperative) to hurry; begin.
Come on, before it rains!
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Informal. (as an entreaty or attempt at persuasion) please.
Come on, go with us to the movies.
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Slang. to try to make an impression or have an effect; present oneself.
She comes on a bit too strong for my taste.
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Slang. to make sexual advances.
a Lothario who was always coming on with the women at the office.
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come up to
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come round
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come.
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Nautical. (of a sailing vessel) to head toward the wind; come to.
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come about
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to come to pass; happen.
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Nautical. to tack.
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come around / round
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come along
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to accompany someone, attend as part of a group.
He didn't come along on the last trip.
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to proceed, develop, or advance sufficiently or successfully.
The new project was coming along quite smoothly.
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to appear; emerge as a factor or possibility.
Even if another job comes along this summer, I won't take it.
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come through
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come into
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to acquire; get.
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to inherit.
He came into a large fortune at the age of 21.
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come at
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come out with
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to speak, especially to confess or reveal something.
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to make available to the public; bring out.
The publisher is coming out with a revised edition of the textbook.
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come down with to become afflicted with (an illness).
Many people came down with the flu this year.
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come on to to make sexual advances to.
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come in
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to enter.
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to arrive.
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to come into use or fashion.
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to begin to produce or yield.
The oil well finally came in.
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to be among the winners.
His horse came in and paid 5 to 1.
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to finish in a race or any competition, as specified.
Our bobsled team came in fifth.
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come back
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to return, especially to one's memory.
It all comes back to me now.
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to return to a former position or state.
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to talk back; retort.
to come back with a witty remark.
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come down
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to lose wealth, rank, etc.; be reduced in circumstances or status.
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to be handed down by tradition or inheritance.
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to be relayed or passed along from a source of higher rank or authority.
The general's orders will come down tomorrow.
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Slang. to take place; happen.
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Slang. to lose one's euphoria, enthusiasm, or especially the effects of a drug high.
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idioms
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come to pass, to happen; occur.
And it came to pass that there was a drought in the kingdom.
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where one is coming from, where the source of one's beliefs, attitudes, or feelings lies.
It's hard to understand where your friend is coming from when he says such crazy things.
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come off,
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come and go, to occur briefly or suddenly but never for long; appear and disappear.
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come what may, no matter what may happen; regardless of any opposition, argument, or consequences.
Come what may, he will not change his mind.
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come off it, to stop being wrong, foolish, or pretentious; be truthful or honest.
Come off it—we know you're as poor as the rest of us.
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come down on the side of, to support or favor.
I want to come down on the side of truth and justice.
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come home,
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(of an anchor) to begin to drag.
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(of an object) to move when hauled upon.
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verb
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to move towards a specified person or place
come to my desk
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to arrive by movement or by making progress
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to become perceptible
light came into the sky
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to occur in the course of time
Christmas comes but once a year
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to exist or occur at a specific point in a series
your turn comes next
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to happen as a result
no good will come of this
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to originate or be derived
good may come of evil
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to occur to the mind
the truth suddenly came to me
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to extend or reach
she comes up to my shoulder
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to be produced or offered
that dress comes in red only
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to arrive at or be brought into a particular state or condition
you will soon come to grief
the new timetable comes into effect on Monday
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(foll by from) to be or have been a resident or native (of)
I come from London
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to become
your wishes will come true
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(tr; takes an infinitive) to be given awareness
I came to realize its enormous value
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(of grain) to germinate
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slang to have an orgasm
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informal (tr) to play the part of
don't come the fine gentleman with me
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informal (tr) to cause or produce
don't come that nonsense again
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(subjunctive use) when (a specified time or event has arrived or begun)
she'll be sixteen come Sunday
come the revolution, you'll be the first to go
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the most characteristic example of a class or type
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informal what did you say?
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(imperative or dependent imperative) to move towards a particular person or thing or accompany a person with some specified purpose
come and see what I've found
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informal to make a revelation or confession
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informal to recover and perform well after a bad start or setback
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slang
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to pretend; act a part
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to exaggerate
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(often foll by over) to try to impose (upon)
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to divulge a secret; inform the police
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to be revealed
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informal to find or produce
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archaic to take place
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informal what is the reason that?
interjection
noun
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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comesimple
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comessimple
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have comeperfect
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has comeperfect
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am comingprogressive
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are comingprogressive
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is comingprogressive
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have been comingperfect progressive
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has been comingperfect progressive
Past
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camesimple
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had comeperfect
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was comingprogressive
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were comingprogressive
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had been comingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of come
First recorded before 900; Middle English comen, Old English cuman; cognate with Dutch komen, German kommen, Gothic qiman, Old Norse koma, Latin venīre “to come,” Greek baínein “to go,” Sanskrit gámati, jagāti “(he) goes”; see avenue, basis
Explanation
You can come to the end of the road, come to a conclusion, or invite friends to come to your party. Come generally means to move along purposefully toward something. Come (came in the past tense) can also mean "happen," as in the Christmas carol that begins "It came upon a midnight clear..." or the old-fashioned phrase "it will come to pass," which means "it will happen." When you're counting up your purchases at the convenience store, you might say "two apples, five oranges, and a candy bar — that comes [adds up] to $4." If you were born in Ohio, you'd say you come from Ohio.
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.
See Examples For:
“I’ve got to find it tonight, tomorrow when I come to the field,” Díaz said of his slider, which hasn’t been nearly as effective as usual this season.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 8, 2026
For Lee Kendrick Harris, who had just voted at a polling station at a Whitehaven church, the redistricting "is a test of resiliency in how we can come together and survive."
From Barron's ● Aug. 8, 2026
As she scrolls through the music library on her mint green iPod, filled with album artwork from 15 to 20 years ago, childhood memories of receiving one as a Christmas present come flooding back.
From BBC ● Aug. 8, 2026
“But I know talking with the staff here they’ve got a pretty good plan. I’m expected to come out of the ‘pen in some capacity.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 8, 2026
Don Quixote asked him to come back quickly.
From "Adventures of Don Quixote" by Argentina Palacios
While Prenuvo and Ezra offer a whole-body MRI scan, I've opted for Neko Health, which doesn't delve quite as deeply, and comes with a more modest £299 price tag.
From BBC ● Aug. 8, 2026
Tom House, who worked on biomechanics with Mr. Ryan decades before the rest of the sport caught on, comes across as a shaman-like character.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
The case comes at a sensitive time for OpenAI, which is worth a reported $852 billion as it works towards a potential IPO.
From Barron's ● Aug. 7, 2026
It comes after a blast at another quarry six miles away forced people to flee their homes as a torrent of water flooded them.
From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2026
I know how easily I can fall into sadness when it comes to remembering my mom, so I try to move on and get him back to his usual boastful self.
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
The eight-pitch leadoff walk he issued came back to haunt him when, with one out, in a 2-2 count, he missed his spot on a slider to Waldschmidt.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 8, 2026
Kira Townsend, 39, says she realised the immense danger when word came that the fire had jumped over the river, which normally acts as a barrier protecting the city from fires.
From BBC ● Aug. 8, 2026
"But as it is coming for those who came before me, our elders and ancestors, we know how to roll up our sleeves and fight. So that's what we're gonna do."
From Barron's ● Aug. 8, 2026
U.S. stocks rose Friday after July payroll data came in far weaker than expected, giving the Federal Reserve reason to hold off on raising interest rates next month.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 8, 2026
Then came the wind, the sucking inhale of a closing door.
From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman
While there will be smaller solar eclipses in the coming years, including one next August, the next total eclipse will not take place until 23 September 2090.
From BBC ● Aug. 8, 2026
"But as it is coming for those who came before me, our elders and ancestors, we know how to roll up our sleeves and fight. So that's what we're gonna do."
From Barron's ● Aug. 8, 2026
"I was finishing my law degree and had a job at the time - I had to say to them I wouldn't be coming back from maternity leave," she says.
From BBC ● Aug. 8, 2026
More automation is also coming to delivery, which accounts for about 70% of Wonder’s business.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
Suddenly Don Quixote heard cries coming from a nearby bush.
From "Adventures of Don Quixote" by Argentina Palacios
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.
