insert
Americanverb (used with object)
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inserts,
present (3rd person singular)
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inserted,
past participle, past
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inserting
present participle
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to put or place in.
to insert a key in a lock.
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to introduce or cause to be introduced into the body of something.
to insert an extra paragraph in an article.
noun
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inserts
plural
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something inserted or to be inserted.
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an extra leaf or section, printed independently, for binding or tipping into a book or periodical, especially a leaf or section consisting of an illustration or advertisement printed on different paper.
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any small picture, device, etc., surrounded partly or completely by body type.
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a paper, circular, etc., placed within the folds of a newspaper or the leaves of a book, periodical, etc.
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Movies, Radio and Television. cut-in
verb
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to put in or between; introduce
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to introduce, as into text, such as a newspaper; interpolate
noun
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something inserted
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a folded section placed in another for binding in with a book
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a printed sheet, esp one bearing advertising, placed loose between the leaves of a book, periodical, etc
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another word for cut in
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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inserternoun
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interinsertverb (used with object)
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preinsertverb (used with object)
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reinsertverb (used with object)
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subinsertverb (used with object)
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insertableadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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insertsimple
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insertssimple
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have insertedperfect
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has insertedperfect
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am insertingprogressive
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are insertingprogressive
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is insertingprogressive
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have been insertingperfect progressive
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has been insertingperfect progressive
Past
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insertedsimple
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had insertedperfect
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was insertingprogressive
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were insertingprogressive
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had been insertingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of insert
First recorded in 1520–30; from Latin insertus, past participle of inserere “to put in, insert,” equivalent to in- “in” + ser- (stem of serere “to link together”) + -tus past participle suffix; see in- 2
Explanation
When you insert something or someone, you put it into something else. You could insert yourself into a conversation, or you could insert a comma into the sentence you just wrote. The verb insert comes from the Latin in-, meaning “into,” and serere, meaning "to join." When you insert yourself into a conversation, you’re joining in, whether your friends want you to or not. Insert can also mean to fit snugly into, or to tuck. You might fit a card into an envelope that fits it perfectly, or insert first one leg and then another into a pair of tights.
Vocabulary lists containing insert
STAAR English I: The Language of the Test 1
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STAAR English II: The Language of the Test 1
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Unit 2: Pivotal Words and Phrases
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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.
See Examples For:
It has invested in Italian company D-Orbit, which offers services to insert satellites into orbit, and Skeleton, an Estonian maker of energy-storage devices designed for fast charging and discharging.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
And for the simplest possible showstopper, Frieda’s Hulas Ready-to-Drink Coconuts come peeled and prepped with a tool that lets you open them and insert a straw in seconds.
From Salon ● Jul. 12, 2026
It was decided to bury the objects rather than insert them in a statue.
From Barron's ● Jul. 2, 2026
"The team attempted to insert a central line pursuant to the protocol, but the procedure was unsuccessful," the statement continued.
From BBC ● May 21, 2026
Sonia holds the pole, and Gogol and Ben insert the branches.
From "The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri
Three letters to describe a cord that our puzzle writer always inserts the wrong way?
From Slate ● Aug. 26, 2026
In between the book’s linked stories, Ms. Daanje inserts excerpts from those scant archives—Millicent’s letters, the poems and cryptic jottings from Eliza May’s notebooks—as well as passages from various later biographies of the Draydens.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026
The draft communique inserts previously unused language targeting "freedom of navigation in and overflight above straits" while separately calling for "unimpeded" passage through the Strait of Hormuz.
From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026
Instead of spending the money on a pricey establishing shot of the car driving on the 101, Wain inserts a brief vintage clip of a ’70s-era taxi, humming along the road.
From Salon ● Jul. 12, 2026
Smaller than a pack of gum, Mind’s Eye attaches to the base of the skull and inserts microfilaments into the brain.
From "We Are the Ants" by Shaun David Hutchinson
The researchers inserted a gene for a receptor that recognizes NY-ESO-1, a protein found in many solid tumors.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 11, 2026
The Nepali army inserted a pipe into one of the tunnels at the Trishuli 3A hydroelectric site late on Saturday and started sending air through it, Minister Sudan Gurung said.
From Barron's ● Aug. 30, 2026
So he inserted a hyphen to help people say it correctly.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026
Weber Pierson told the Times Monday that the amendments intended to help Midway Rising “haven’t crossed” the desk, meaning that the language hasn’t been inserted into Senate Bill 344.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026
May, meanwhile, had inserted herself between the wolf and the fairy queen, trying to stop the animal’s attack.
From "Half Upon a Time" by James Riley
Spend enough years standing behind pyramids of hamburgers, posing at fry stations and inserting yourself into the iconography of American restaurant chains, and eventually the props begin to accrue meanings of their own.
From Salon ● Aug. 12, 2026
It involves inserting electrodes made of materials such as zinc and copper into substances that contain moisture or ions, and then collecting the small but steady electrical currents.
From Barron's ● Aug. 5, 2026
This led to a change in the rules, with the two competitions inserting reciprocal clauses in their regulations.
From BBC ● Jun. 17, 2026
But in local disputes, the locals have every reason to get the oil flowing again eventually without the U.S. inserting itself.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 15, 2026
The same is likely true of at least one other study, called “The Use of Deep Temporal Leads in the Study of Psychomotor Epilepsy,” which involved inserting metal probes into patients’ brains.
From "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot
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.
