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• to
  to

  preposition

  (used for expressing motion or direction toward a point, person, place, or thing approached and reached, as opposed tofrom ).
• t.o.
  t.o.

  abbreviation

  turnover.
• T.O.
  T.O.

  abbreviation

  telegraph office.

to

¹ American  

[too, too, tuh] / tu, tʊ, tə /

preposition

1. (used for expressing motion or direction toward a point, person, place, or thing approached and reached, as opposed tofrom ).

   They came to the house.

2. (used for expressing direction or motion or direction toward something) in the direction of; toward.

   from north to south.

3. (used for expressing limit of movement or extension).

   He grew to six feet.

4. (used for expressing contact or contiguity) on; against; beside; upon.

   a right uppercut to the jaw;

   Apply varnish to the surface.

5. (used for expressing a point of limit in time) before; until.

   to this day;

   It is ten minutes to six.

   We work from nine to five.

6. (used for expressing aim, purpose, or intention).

   going to the rescue.

7. (used for expressing destination or appointed end).

   sentenced to jail.

8. (used for expressing agency, result, or consequence).

   to my dismay;

   The flowers opened to the sun.

9. (used for expressing a resulting state or condition).

   He tore it to pieces.

10. (used for expressing the object of inclination or desire).

    They drank to her health.

11. (used for expressing the object of a right or claim).

    claimants to an estate.

12. (used for expressing limit in degree, condition, or amount).

    wet to the skin;

    goods amounting to $1000;

    Tomorrow's high will be 75 to 80°.

13. (used for expressing addition or accompaniment) with.

    He added insult to injury.

    They danced to the music.

    Where is the top to this box?

14. (used for expressing attachment or adherence).

    She held to her opinion.

15. (used for expressing comparison or opposition).

    inferior to last year's crop;

    The score is eight to seven.

16. (used for expressing agreement or accordance) according to; by.

    a position to one's liking;

    to the best of my knowledge.

17. (used for expressing reference, reaction, or relation).

    What will he say to this?

18. (used for expressing a relative position).

    parallel to the roof.

19. (used for expressing a proportion of number or quantity) in; making up.

    12 to the dozen;

    20 miles to the gallon.

20. (used for indicating the indirect object of a verb, for connecting a verb with its complement, or for indicating or limiting the application of an adjective, noun, or pronoun).

    Give it to me.

    I refer to your work.

21. (used as the ordinary sign or accompaniment of the infinitive, as in expressing motion, direction, or purpose, in ordinary uses with a substantive object.)

22. Mathematics. raised to the power indicated.

    Three to the fourth is 81 (34 = 81).

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adverb

1. toward a point, person, place, or thing, implied or understood.

2. toward a contact point or closed position.

   Pull the door to.

3. toward a matter, action, or work.

   We turned to with a will.

4. into a state of consciousness; out of unconsciousness.

   after he came to.

idioms

1. to and fro. fro.

t.o. ² American  

abbreviation

1. turnover.

2. turn over.

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T.O. ³ American  

Or TO

abbreviation

1. telegraph office.

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to ¹ British  

/ tʊ, tuː, tə /

preposition

1. used to indicate the destination of the subject or object of an action

   he climbed to the top

2. used to mark the indirect object of a verb in a sentence

   telling stories to children

3. used to mark the infinitive of a verb

   he wanted to go

4. as far as; until

   working from Monday to Friday

5. used to indicate equality

   16 ounces to the pound

6. against; upon; onto

   put your ear to the wall

7. before the hour of

   five minutes to four

8. accompanied by

   dancing to loud music

9. as compared with, as against

   the score was eight to three

10. used to indicate a resulting condition

    he tore her dress to shreds

    they starved to death

11. a dialect word for at 1

    he's to town

    where's it to?

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adverb

1. towards a fixed position, esp (of a door) closed

to ² British  

abbreviation

1. Tonga

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Usage

What's the difference between to, too, and two? To is a very common word that performs many different functions, such as expressing direction (I’m driving to the office) or contact (Pin it to the wall), indicating an object or recipient (Give it to me), or setting a range (9 to 5) or limit (These go to 11). Too means also (I’m going, too) or to an excessive degree (too much). Two is the number equal to one plus one. The words are used in very different ways: to is most commonly used as a preposition, too is an adverb, and two is a number that can be used as a noun or an adjective. Perhaps the most common mistake involving the three words is using to when it should be too, or vice versa. Remember, if you mean to, don’t use too many o’s!Here’s an example of to, too, and two used correctly in the same sentence. Example: We went to two two-star restaurants, and it was two two-star restaurants too many!Want to learn more? Read the full breakdown of the difference between to, too, and two.

Etymology

Origin of to

First recorded before 900; Middle English, Old English tō; cognate with Dutch te, toe, German zu

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

to T.O.

With Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office in his corner, Sramek was chasing a prize: a $3 billion shipyard beside the city he wants to build from scratch here.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 10, 2026

In one, Sramek wrote that the county’s plan to review the shipyard was “off the mark not by a year, but by several years.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 10, 2026

Emails obtained by The Wall Street Journal show relations have soured to the point where county officials appear more inclined to block the project than negotiate.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 10, 2026

Sramek, 39 years old, is no stranger to big deals.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 10, 2026

Most of the residents listen to jazz on the radio, but she prefers classical, especially Johannes Brahms, a nineteenth-century German composer known for his beautifully crafted, heartfelt compositions.

From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly

“Bottom line is I need to rest them — my voice needs a T.O., BABY!”

From Seattle Times ● Dec. 29, 2021

Qualified immunity’s implications do not end at T.O. and J.W. losing their cases.

From Slate ● Jul. 29, 2021

"I’ll put myself first, I’ll put T.O. second," Moss said, even though neither of them won any Super Bowl titles during their careers.

From Fox News ● Dec. 19, 2020

“Everyone knows about T.O., but I want to pull that curtain back and let them get to know Terrell,” Owens said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 3, 2019

What the initials T.O. stood for in the way of a name had been the subject of much guessing in the B-Hive, for the owner of the initials refused whimsically to explain them.

From Four Girls and a Compact by Annie Hamilton Donnell