dip into
Britishverb
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to draw (upon)
he dipped into his savings
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to read (passages) at random or cursorily in (a book, newspaper, etc)
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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]
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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]
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.
Now he faces a different dilemma: When should he dip into his precious stash?
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 3, 2026
Analysts expect the same from Amazon.com, which also reports next week and already saw its free cash flow dip into the red in the first quarter.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
Hospitals, which are almost always in need of funds, figure that you may have enough #gratitude after your treatment to dip into your pockets.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 24, 2026
“The intensity of those games, the environments that you have to dip into and get results, you find out a lot about the players and find out a lot about the team,” he said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 9, 2026
It was like dodging back and forth from one dimension to another, a silent explosion of breaking through a sound barrier, a curious experience, like a quick dip into a known but alien water.
From "Travels with Charley in Search of America" by John Steinbeck
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.
