Phrasal verbs are an essential part of English fluency, combining verbs with prepositions or adverbs to create expressions with meanings that often differ from the original verb.
This comprehensive guide focuses on phrasal verbs containing “in,” providing clear definitions and practical example sentences to help you master these common expressions.
1-10: Everyday actions
Break in
To forcibly enter a building; to interrupt a conversation; to make new shoes more comfortable.
“Thieves broke in through the back window.”
“I didn’t mean to break in, but I needed to ask a question.”
“These leather boots need time to break in.”
Call in
To request someone’s presence; to report sick to work.
“The manager called in extra staff for the busy weekend.”
“Jim called in sick with the flu.”
Check in
To register at a hotel; to confirm arrival.
“We’ll check in at the hotel around 3 PM.”
“Please check in with me when you arrive at the office.”
Come in
To enter a room or building.
“Please come in and take a seat.”
“The tide was coming in quickly as we walked along the beach.”
Drop in
To visit without prior arrangement.
“Feel free to drop in anytime you’re in the neighborhood.”
“My cousin dropped in unexpectedly yesterday.”
Fill in
To complete a form; to provide information; to substitute temporarily.
“Please fill in your details on this application form.”
“Can you fill me in on what happened at the meeting?”
“Sarah will fill in for me while I’m on vacation.”
Get in
To enter; to arrive; to be accepted.
“What time did you get in last night?”
“Our flight gets in at midnight.”
“She got in to her top-choice university.”
Give in
To surrender; to yield to pressure.
“After hours of negotiation, the company finally gave in to the workers’ demands.”
“Don’t give in to temptation.”
Hand in
To submit something.
“Students must hand in their assignments by Friday.”
“He handed in his resignation after accepting a new job.”
Join in
To participate.
“Everyone joined in singing the birthday song.”
“Don’t be shy – join in the conversation.”
11-20: Business and work
Be in
To be present or available.
“Is the manager in today?”
“The new shipment of books is in.”
Bring in
To introduce; to earn or generate.
“They brought in a consultant to improve efficiency.”
“The new product line brought in over $2 million last year.”
Buy in
To purchase stock or inventory; to accept an idea.
“The company bought in a large quantity of supplies before prices increased.”
“The team needs to buy in to the new strategy for it to succeed.”
Clock in
To record one’s arrival time at work.
“Employees must clock in before 9 AM.”
“He clocked in ten minutes late this morning.”
Dive in
To start something with enthusiasm.
“Let’s dive in to this project right away.”
“She dove in and finished the report in one day.”
Factor in
To include or consider something in calculations.
“We need to factor in the cost of shipping.”
“Have you factored in the possibility of delays?”
Phase in
To introduce gradually.
“The new procedures will be phased in over the next six months.”
“The company is phasing in flexible working hours.”
Pitch in
To help with a task.
“Everyone pitched in to finish the project on time.”
“If we all pitch in, we can clean the office in an hour.”
Rope in
To persuade someone to help.
“We roped in some volunteers to help with the event.”
“She roped me in to organizing the holiday party.”
Weigh in
To offer an opinion; to measure weight.
“Several experts weighed in on the debate.”
“The boxer weighed in at 180 pounds.”
21-30: Communication and relationships
Butt in
To interrupt or interfere.
“Sorry to butt in, but I have an urgent message for you.”
“He’s always butting in on private conversations.”
Be in on
To be included in a secret or plan.
“Are you in on the surprise party plans?”
“Only senior management was in on the merger talks.”
Chip in
To contribute money or ideas.
“Everyone chipped in for the retirement gift.”
“Would you like to chip in with your thoughts?”
Cut in
To interrupt; to enter a line or conversation abruptly.
“He rudely cut in while I was speaking.”
“The car cut in front of me without signaling.”
Let in on
To share a secret with someone.
“She let me in on her plans to start a business.”
“The manager let us in on the upcoming changes.”
Listen in
To eavesdrop.
“He was listening in on their private conversation.”
“Can I listen in on the conference call?”
Pile in
To enter a vehicle or space in large numbers.
“The whole team piled into the van.”
“Students piled into the classroom after lunch.”
Take in
To absorb information; to accommodate someone.
“I couldn’t take in all the information at once.”
“They took in their nephew when his parents died.”
Tune in
To listen to a broadcast; to become aware.
“Tune in to our podcast every Monday.”
“He needs to tune in to his employees’ concerns.”
Write in
To send a letter to an organization.
“Viewers are encouraged to write in with their questions.”
“Please write in your contact details at the top of the form.”
31-40: Appearance and perception
Blend in
To match surroundings; to not stand out.
“The chameleon blended in with the leaves.”
“She tried to blend in with the locals while traveling.”
Build in
To include as an integral part.
“The software has built-in security features.”
“Extra time was built in to the schedule for delays.”
Fit in
To be socially accepted; to find time for something.
“The new student quickly fit in with her classmates.”
“Let me check if I can fit in a meeting this afternoon.”
Pencil in
To make a tentative arrangement.
“I’ve penciled in our lunch for next Tuesday.”
“The meeting is penciled in for 2 PM, but it might change.”
Pull in
To attract; to arrive (vehicle); to earn money.
“The festival pulls in thousands of tourists each year.”
“The train pulled in to the station on time.”
“He pulls in a six-figure salary.”
Sink in
To be fully understood or realized.
“The news of her promotion took time to sink in.”
“Let the information sink in before making a decision.”
Squeeze in
To manage to fit something into a busy schedule.
“I can squeeze in a quick coffee before my next meeting.”
“We squeezed in one more appointment at the end of the day.”
Stand in
To temporarily replace someone.
“The vice president stood in for the CEO at the conference.”
“Would you mind standing in for me at tomorrow’s meeting?”
Take in
To observe or notice; to alter clothing to make smaller.
“We stopped to take in the beautiful view.”
“The tailor took in the waist of my pants.”
Zero in
To focus on a specific target.
“The investigator zeroed in on the main suspect.”
“We need to zero in on the cause of the problem.”
41-50: Learning and understanding
Brush in
To add details with a brush (in art).
“The artist brushed in some final highlights.”
“She brushed in the background details last.”
Drill in
To teach through repetition.
“The coach drilled in the importance of teamwork.”
“These concepts need to be drilled in thoroughly.”
Fill in
To provide missing information.
“Can you fill me in on what I missed?”
“The teacher filled in the gaps in our knowledge.”
Immerse in
To become completely involved in something.
“She immersed herself in the study of ancient languages.”
“He was fully immersed in writing his novel.”
Log in
To enter a computer system with a username and password.
“You need to log in to access your account.”
“I can’t log in to the company network from home.”
Plug in
To connect an electrical device; to insert information.
“Don’t forget to plug in your laptop.”
“Plug in the customer’s details to generate a quote.”
School in
To educate thoroughly about something.
“My grandfather schooled me in the art of fishing.”
“New employees are schooled in company procedures.”
Take in
To understand and absorb information.
“There was too much information to take in at once.”
“She slowly took in everything the doctor was saying.”
Tie in
To connect or relate to something.
“This chapter ties in with what we learned last week.”
“How does this tie in with our overall strategy?”
Zoom in
To focus closely on details.
“Let’s zoom in on this section of the report.”
“She zoomed in on the photo to see the details.”
51-60: Changes and transformations
Break in
To train or prepare something new for use.
“I need to break in these new shoes.”
“It takes time to break in a new baseball glove.”
Bring in
To introduce or implement.
“The company brought in new policies after the scandal.”
“They’re bringing in expert consultants to help.”
Fade in
To gradually become visible or audible.
“The music faded in as the movie started.”
“The image slowly faded in on the screen.”
Kick in
To start taking effect.
“The pain medication should kick in soon.”
“The new tax rules kick in next month.”
Morph in
To transform or change shape.
“The character morphed in to a different form.”
“One scene morphed in to another during the transition.”
Phase in
To introduce gradually over time.
“The new system will be phased in over six months.”
“Changes to the curriculum are being phased in gradually.”
Ring in
To celebrate the start of something (especially a new year).
“We rang in the New Year with fireworks and champagne.”
“They rang in the new season with a special event.”
Settle in
To become comfortable in a new place or situation.
“It took her a few weeks to settle in to her new job.”
“The exchange students are settling in well.”
Usher in
To mark the beginning of a new period.
“The treaty ushered in an era of peace.”
“The discovery ushered in a revolution in medicine.”
Work in
To include or incorporate.
“Can you work in a mention of our new product?”
“I’ll try to work in a visit to the museum during our trip.”
61-70: Organization and arrangement
Build in
To incorporate as an essential feature.
“The house has built-in bookshelves.”
“The system has built-in redundancy.”
Cram in
To fit in more than is comfortable.
“We crammed in three meetings before lunch.”
“They crammed in as many tourists as possible on the bus.”
File in
To enter in an orderly line.
“Students filed in to the assembly hall.”
“The audience began filing in thirty minutes before the show.”
Fit in
To integrate something into a schedule or plan.
“Let me see if I can fit in one more appointment.”
“We need to fit in time for quality control.”
Lock in
To secure or finalize.
“We’ve locked in the date for the conference.”
“They locked in the interest rate before rates increased.”
Pack in
To squeeze in; to fill a space completely.
“We packed in as many activities as possible during our vacation.”
“The theater was packed in for the premiere.”
Pen in
To schedule tentatively.
“I’ve penned in our meeting for Tuesday.”
“The project is penned in for completion next month.”
Slot in
To fit into a schedule or system.
“Can we slot in a quick meeting this afternoon?”
“The new employee will slot in to the marketing team.”
Squeeze in
To find space or time for something additional.
“We squeezed in one more person at the dinner table.”
“I squeezed in a workout before breakfast.”
Work in
To incorporate or include.
“Let’s work in a short break every hour.”
“They worked in references to previous campaigns.”
71-80: Movement and direction
Cave in
To collapse; to surrender to pressure.
“The roof caved in during the earthquake.”
“He finally caved in to his children’s requests for a puppy.”
Close in
To approach or surround.
“The police were closing in on the suspect.”
“Darkness was closing in as we finished hiking.”
Crowd in
To enter in large numbers.
“Fans crowded in to see the celebrity.”
“Memories crowded in as she visited her childhood home.”
Drive in
To enter by car; a type of outdoor cinema.
“We drove in to the parking garage.”
“Let’s go to the drive-in movie tonight.”
Float in
To enter or move gently.
“The aroma of fresh bread floated in from the kitchen.”
“Light floated in through the sheer curtains.”
Fly in
To arrive by air; to import by air.
“Experts are flying in for the conference.”
“They flew in fresh seafood for the restaurant.”
Funnel in
To direct or channel into a narrow space.
“Spectators funneled in through the main entrance.”
“Tax money is funneled in to the education system.”
Pour in
To enter in large quantities.
“Donations poured in after the disaster.”
“Complaints poured in about the new policy.”
Roll in
To arrive casually or in waves.
“Guests started rolling in around 8 PM.”
“Profits are rolling in from the new venture.”
Stream in
To enter continuously or in large numbers.
“Fans streamed in to the concert venue.”
“Applications are streaming in for the position.”
81-90: Emotional and mental states
Bottle in
To suppress emotions.
“He tends to bottle in his feelings until they explode.”
“Don’t bottle in your frustration – let’s talk about it.”
Buy in
To believe in or commit to an idea.
“The team needs to buy in to the new vision.”
“It’s hard to implement changes if staff don’t buy in.”
Dig in
To start eating enthusiastically; to become entrenched in a position.
“Let’s dig in – the food is getting cold.”
“Both sides have dug in and refuse to compromise.”
Drawn in
To become involved, often unwillingly.
“He was drawn in to the argument despite his best efforts.”
“I didn’t want to get drawn in to office politics.”
Get in
To become involved.
“I don’t want to get in on this debate.”
“How did you get in with that crowd?”
Psyche in
To mentally prepare or motivate.
“Athletes psyche themselves in before competition.”
“She was psyching herself in for the job interview.”
Reel in
To attract and secure; to control.
“The salesperson reeled in another customer.”
“You need to reel in your spending habits.”
Shut in
To confine; someone who rarely leaves home.
“She felt shut in during the long winter.”
“His illness has made him a shut-in.”
Take in
To deceive; to enjoy or appreciate.
“Don’t be taken in by his false promises.”
“We stopped to take in the magnificent view.”
Zone in
To focus intensely.
“She zoned in on her studies before exams.”
“I need to zone in on finishing this project.”
91-100: Miscellaneous
Be in
To be involved or participating.
“Are you in on the office lottery pool?”
“Count me in for Saturday’s hike.”
Cash in
To exchange for money; to take advantage of.
“He cashed in his savings bonds.”
“She’s cashing in on her fame with a new book deal.”
Chip in
To contribute money or effort.
“Everyone chipped in for the gift.”
“If we all chip in, this won’t take long.”
Dial in
To adjust precisely; to connect via phone.
“We need to dial in the settings.”
“You can dial in to the conference call.”
Factor in
To include in calculations or planning.
“We need to factor in the cost of insurance.”
“Have you factored in potential delays?”
Hone in
To focus on or move toward a target.
“The discussion honed in on the main issue.”
“The investigation is honing in on new evidence.”
Opt in
To choose to participate.
“You need to opt in to receive the newsletter.”
“Many customers opted in to the loyalty program.”
Pencil in
To schedule tentatively.
“I’ve penciled in our lunch for next Thursday.”
“The project is penciled in for completion by June.”
Tune in
To watch or listen to a broadcast; to become receptive.
“Don’t forget to tune in to tonight’s debate.”
“He needs to tune in to what customers are saying.”
Weave in
To incorporate or include.
“She skillfully weaved in anecdotes throughout her presentation.”
“The author weaves in themes of redemption throughout the novel.”
Mastering phrasal verbs with “in” will significantly enhance your English fluency. Try to practice using these expressions in your daily conversations and writing. Remember that many phrasal verbs have multiple meanings depending on context, so pay attention to how they’re used in different situations. With regular practice, you’ll find yourself using these phrasal verbs naturally and confidently.
