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

Dip into a French dip Then I probably would go to Philippe the Original downtown.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 7, 2025

Dip into as many sports as she’s willing to try.

From Slate • Jun. 24, 2021

Dip into this gallery in the American Wing, and you’ll get a bit of a reprieve from the crowds.

From New York Times • Nov. 28, 2019

Dip into reserves, cut school days, reallocate teachers and increase class sizes, as The Oregonian/OregonLive’s Eder Campuzano reported.

From Washington Times • Apr. 3, 2019

Dip into the morass of the popular Sunday newspapers with their millions of circulation, and see the broth of foulness in which the great public take their weekly intellectual bath.

From Leaves in the Wind by Gardiner, A. G. (Alfred George)