dip into

British  

verb

1. to draw (upon)

   he dipped into his savings

2. to read (passages) at random or cursorily in (a book, newspaper, etc)

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dip into Idioms  

1. Investigate superficially, as in He began to dip into Chaucer , or She's just dipping into psychology . This expression alludes to plunging briefly into a liquid. [Late 1600s]

2. Withdraw something in small amounts, usually money, as in I'll have to dip into my savings . This usage employs dip into in the sense of plunging one's hand or a ladle into a pot, water, or the like for the purpose of taking something out. [Early 1800s]

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Example Sentences

Rowen plans to dip into her savings to cover the difference.

From The Wall Street Journal

At night, temperatures are expected to remain low, dipping into the 40s.

From Los Angeles Times

If you’ve dipped into your emergency savings in the past year, it’s important to replenish that fund as soon as feasible.

From MarketWatch

“The share of respondents who said they had dipped into savings to cover expenses or reduced the portion of their income allocated to savings each rose by three percentage points,” the McKinsey trio wrote.

From MarketWatch

Calderon said he had heard from numerous school districts across the state that had been dipping into reserve funds to avoid layoffs and cutbacks since the Secure Rural Schools Act expired.

From Los Angeles Times