into
Americanpreposition
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to the inside of; in toward.
He walked into the room. The train chugged into the station.
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toward or in the direction of.
going into town.
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to a point of contact with; against.
backed into a parked car.
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(used to indicate insertion or immersion in).
plugged into the socket.
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(used to indicate entry, inclusion, or introduction in a place or condition).
received into the church.
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to the state, condition, or form assumed or brought about.
went into shock; lapsed into disrepair; translated into another language.
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to the occupation, action, possession, circumstance, or acceptance of.
went into banking; coerced into complying.
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(used to indicate a continuing extent in time or space).
lasted into the night; far into the distance.
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(used to indicate the number to be divided by another number).
2 into 20 equals 10.
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Informal. interested or absorbed in, especially obsessively.
She's into yoga and gardening.
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Slang. in debt to.
I'm into him for ten dollars.
adjective
preposition
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to the interior or inner parts of
to look into a case
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to the middle or midst of so as to be surrounded by
into the water
into the bushes
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against; up against
he drove into a wall
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used to indicate the result of a transformation or change
he changed into a monster
-
maths used to indicate a dividend
three into six is two
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informal interested or enthusiastically involved in
I'm really into Freud these days
Etymology
Origin of into
First recorded before 1000; Middle English, Old English; in + to
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.
Roman can focus starlight into an easy-to-cover pinprick with tremendous precision.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 28, 2026
This is my latest attempt to turn myself into a European football fan after far too many false starts to count.
From Slate ● Aug. 28, 2026
Emery helped turn that instinctive talent into a more structured game.
From BBC ● Aug. 28, 2026
From the beginning, Wright had sought to integrate his buildings into their natural settings.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026
Then Dr. Harlow "dresses" the wound, pulling the loose skin back into position and taping it in place with adhesive strips.
From "Phineas Gage" by John Fleischman
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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.