walk-in
Americanadjective
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of or relating to persons who walk into a place from the street, especially irregularly or without an appointment.
walk-in customers; walk-in sales; a walk-in patient.
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large enough to be walked into.
a walk-in kitchen.
noun
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walk-ins
plural
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a person, as a customer, patient, or interviewee, who arrives without an appointment.
Many of the clinic's patients are walk-ins who suddenly need help.
-
something large enough to be walked into, as a closet.
-
an assured victory in an election or other contest.
adjective
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(of a cupboard) large enough to allow a person to enter and move about in
-
(of a building or apartment) located so as to admit of direct access from the street
-
(of a flat or house) in a suitable condition for immediate occupation
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of walk-in
First recorded in 1925–30; adj., noun use of verb phrase walk in
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:
Although its store continues to attract a steady flow of walk-in customers looking for the cutting edge of cute, JapanLA’s business has been turbo-charged in recent years by livestream shopping.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 4, 2026
The 42-year-old mother of four had arrived at sunrise to prep for a day of virtual and in-person court hearings and free walk-in consultations.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 2026
Savea burst forward from a line-out, and perfect passing gave McKenzie a walk-in.
From BBC ● Aug. 29, 2026
Elsewhere in the home, there is a large office space and two glamorous walk-in closets.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 19, 2026
There were two doors in here, which made me think he had his own bathroom, and a maybe a walk-in closet.
From "A Very Large Expanse of Sea" by Tahereh Mafi
EatClub is another, giving walk-ins up to 50% off the whole bill at thousands of venues when they redeem an offer within its app.
From BBC ● Sep. 1, 2026
Department of Finance offices in Manhattan, Queens and Brooklyn are now accepting walk-ins for homeowners applying for surcharge exemptions, according to a spokesperson for the mayor’s office.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026
The prices are reasonable, service fantastic and they take walk-ins.
From Salon ● Oct. 31, 2025
“I couldn’t leave because walk-ins just kept on coming and coming and coming,” says Cruz Montalvo, who started sketching her Bad Bunny-themed tattoo ideas in January.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2025
I avoid all contact with both walk-ins until a quick inventory check while Dee is doing dishes.
From "Ask the Passengers" by A.S. King
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.
