do in
Britishverb
-
to murder or kill
-
to exhaust
-
Tire out, exhaust, as in Running errands all day did me in . [ Colloquial ; early 1900s] Also see done in .
-
Kill, as in Mystery writers are always thinking of new ways to do their characters in . [ Slang ; early 1900s] Also see def. 4.
-
Ruin utterly; also cheat or swindle. For example, The five-alarm fire did in the whole block , or His so-called friend really did him in . [First half of 1900s]
-
do oneself in . Commit suicide, as in She was always threatening to do herself in . [ Slang ; first half of 1900s]
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.
That came from the Florence Project folks, and it’s just the least that we can do in this moment.”
From Salon ● Jul. 14, 2026
"Another really interesting question is what kinds of tasks can be learned well enough to do in parallel," Cox said.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 12, 2026
“Not knowing what he’s going to do in the future, but certainly this is a special event, a one-of-a-kind weekend. It won’t be happening like this again.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026
This is much easier for Fifa to do in a tournament format, of course, with referees in a controlled, intensive training environment.
From BBC ● Jul. 8, 2026
“I presume you know what it is I do in Deadwood?”
From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman
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.
