come in

Short definition: The phrase come in means to enter a place, or to become involved or relevant in a situation, often describing arrival or participation.

Looking for a clear and natural explanation of the phrasal verb come in? This is a very common expression in English and it appears in many daily situations. It can describe entering a place, arriving somewhere, becoming involved, or even finishing in a certain position. Because it’s used in both casual speech and formal contexts, the meaning depends strongly on how it’s used. Below are detailed meanings with realistic examples so you can clearly understand how come in works in everyday English.

come in v. /ˌkʌm ˈɪn/

Forms: come in, comes in, came in, come in, coming in
Related: enter v., arrive v., participate v., rank v.
Syllable: come-in

  1. (Verb) To enter a place or move from outside to inside.

    To come in most commonly means to enter a room, building, or enclosed space, especially after being outside.

    Please come in and have a seat.
    She knocked softly before she came in.
    The dog waited by the door to come in out of the rain.

    Synonyms: enter, step inside, move in, walk in, go in, pass through, gain entry, access, cross threshold, arrive inside, get in, approach indoors
    Antonyms: go out, leave, exit, step outside, move out, walk out, depart, head out, withdraw, retreat, go away, stay outside

  2. (Verb) To arrive or be received.

    Come in can also mean arriving at a destination or being received, especially messages, calls, or reports.

    The train will come in at platform three.
    Orders started to come in after the advertisement aired.
    A call just came in for you.

    Synonyms: arrive, reach, be delivered, be received, show up, pull in, land, appear, be transmitted, be submitted, come through, be brought in
    Antonyms: leave, depart, go out, be sent out, be delayed, be withheld, fail to arrive, miss delivery, be canceled, not come through, be returned, be rejected

  3. (Verb) To finish a race or competition in a certain position.

    In competitive contexts, come in describes finishing at a specific rank or position.

    She came in first in the marathon.
    He came in second after a close race.
    The team came in last despite their effort.

    Synonyms: finish, place, rank, complete, cross the line, achieve position, secure place, end race, conclude event, arrive at finish, score position, land position
    Antonyms: withdraw, drop out, quit race, fail to finish, be disqualified, forfeit, exit early, abandon competition, not compete, lose position entirely, miss event, not participate

Conversation Using the Phrasal Verb Come in

In a busy office lobby, Julian and Elena are managing a flow of people and information. This conversation highlights come in, which means to enter a room or building, to arrive (like a news report or a tide), or to finish a race in a certain position.

Julian: Please come in and take a seat; the manager will be with you to start the interview in just a few minutes.

Elena: Thank you; I saw several other candidates come in earlier, so it seems like a very busy day for the firm.

Julian: I read that the tide will come in much faster today because of the full moon and the recent coastal storms.

Elena: I noticed that a very urgent news report started to come in regarding the election results in the southern provinces.

Julian: If you come in first in the sales competition this month, you’ll be eligible for a significant bonus and a promotion.

Elena: I saw a new fashion trend come in last spring that featured bright neon colors and very bold geometric patterns.

Julian: It’s important to let the fresh air come in through the windows to improve the ventilation in this crowded meeting room.

Elena: I agree; sometimes a little bit of outside perspective can come in handy when you are stuck on a difficult problem.

Julian: I’m going to come in early tomorrow to finish the filing; I want to have a clear desk before the weekend starts.

Elena: That’s a good plan; once the new data starts to come in, we’ll need to be ready to process it immediately.

Phrases Containing the Phrasal Verb Come In

The phrases below show how the phrasal verb come in is used to talk about entering, becoming involved, or being received.

Come in quietly

To enter without making noise.

Please come in quietly because the meeting has already started and everyone is listening carefully.

Come in early

To arrive before the scheduled time.

She decided to come in early to prepare all the materials before her presentation began.

Come in and sit down

To enter and take a seat.

The receptionist smiled and invited us to come in and sit down while we waited.

Come in handy

To be useful.

That extra battery pack will definitely come in handy during our long trip.

Come in first

To finish in first place.

She trained hard all year and finally came in first at the regional competition.

Come in contact with

To interact or touch.

Be careful not to come in contact with chemicals without protective gloves.

Come in for criticism

To receive negative feedback.

The proposal came in for criticism because it lacked clear financial details.

Come in waves

To arrive repeatedly.

The visitors seemed to come in waves throughout the afternoon.

Come in during the meeting

To enter while an event is ongoing.

He came in during the meeting and apologized for being late.

Come in strong

To start powerfully.

The team came in strong during the second half of the match and changed the outcome.

Come in with a suggestion

To enter a discussion offering an idea.

She came in with a suggestion that improved the entire strategy.

Come in late

To arrive after the expected time.

He apologized for coming in late due to unexpected traffic delays.

Come in through the door

To enter a building.

Please come in through the door on the left side of the building.

Come in prepared

To arrive ready.

Students should come in prepared with all required materials for the exam.

Come in safely

To arrive without harm.

The pilot confirmed that the aircraft had come in safely despite rough weather.

Come in gradually

To arrive slowly over time.

Orders began to come in gradually after the product launch.

Come in under budget

To cost less than expected.

The construction project managed to come in under budget thanks to efficient planning.

Come in unexpectedly

To arrive without warning.

She came in unexpectedly and surprised her coworkers.

Come in second

To finish in second place.

Although he didn’t win, he came in second and felt proud of his effort.

Come in on time

To arrive as scheduled.

The shipment finally came in on time after several delays.

Words Rhyme with come in

some in
hum in
drum in
plum in
sum in
become in
crumb in
numb in
thumb in
from in
in
bin
fin
pin
sin
tin
win
grin
spin
skin
thin
twin
begin
within
penguin
genuine
violin
discipline
bulletin
origin
POS: Verb Phrase