Bring in meaning
Bring in means to start using a new law, rule or system. It can also mean to earn or make an amount of money.
bring something in
bring in · brought · bringing
The city brought in a new parking fee last year.
Bring in meanings and examples
4 meanings, each with its own CEFR level. A level marked ~ is our estimate: Oxford and Cambridge give none for that meaning.
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1
Start using a new law, rule or system
bring something in
- The city brought in a new parking fee last year.
- Our school is bringing in a ban on phones.
- That rule is silly. Why did they bring it in?
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2
Earn or make an amount of money
bring something in
- Her second job brings in about 500 euros a month.
- The café doesn’t bring in enough money in winter.
- Renting out the spare room brings a bit of money in.
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3
Ask someone from outside to help with a job
bring somebody or something in
- They brought in an expert to fix the website.
- We might need to bring in a lawyer.
- She’s a great lawyer. Let’s bring her in on this case.
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4
Make people come to a place or business
bring somebody or something in
- The street festival brings in thousands of visitors.
- Free wifi brings students in all afternoon.
- We need something to bring in younger customers.
Café orders
New friends
At the airport
Slova
Use bring in in real conversations
- Learn new words with picture cards
- Talk with Felix, an AI tutor, about the things you love
- Short lessons at your level, a few minutes a day
Is bring in separable?
Bring in is separable: bring in a new rule or bring a new rule in. With a pronoun, the pronoun goes in the middle: bring it in, bring them in.
With money, the amount usually comes straight after in: The shop brings in 3,000 a week. Bring in can also simply mean carry something inside: Bring the washing in!
Verb tenses for bring in
| Present | I bring in · she brings in |
|---|---|
| Past | brought in |
| Present perfect | have brought in |
| -ing form | bringing in |
Common mistakes with bring in
What learners often say, and what to say instead.
Wrong: That rule is new. They brought in it last month.
Right: That rule is new. They brought it in last month.
A pronoun goes between bring and in.
Wrong: The shop brings in to 2,000 euros a week.
Right: The shop brings in 2,000 euros a week.
No to before the amount.
Wrong: They brought in a new law for stop smoking indoors.
Right: They brought in a new law to stop smoking indoors.
Use to + verb for the purpose, not for + verb.
Synonyms and opposites of bring in
Words close to it, and words that mean the opposite.
Similar
- introducethe formal word for starting a new law or system
- makethe everyday word for earning money
- take onemploy someone as a worker, usually for a longer time
Opposite
- get rid ofstop using a rule or system
- scrapinformal, stop a plan or rule completely
Bring in quiz
Three quick questions. Pick an answer to see if it is right and why.
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1The gym ___ a new rule: no phones in the changing rooms.
Bring in a rule means start using it.
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2Choose the right sentence.
The amount of money comes straight after bring in.
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3“The police brought in a dog to search the building.” What did they do?
Bring in someone means ask them to come and help with a job.
More phrasal verbs with bring
All phrasal verbs with bring, by level, with an exercise
7 phrasal verbs start with bring. Test yourself on all of them in a few minutes.
- bring backB1return with something, or take something back to where it was
- bring upB2start talking about a subject
- bring aboutC1make something happen, usually a change
- bring downB2make something lower, like prices, costs or a temperature
- bring outB2make a new product, book or album available to buy
- bring togetherB2make people meet, work together or feel closer
Bring in FAQ
Questions people ask about bring in.
What does bring in money mean?
It means earn money, for a person, job or business: Renting the spare room brings in a little extra each month.
What does bring someone in for questioning mean?
It means the police take someone to the police station to ask them questions. It is common in news reports.
What is the difference between bring in and introduce?
For laws and rules they mean the same, but introduce is more formal. Bring in is more common when you speak.
Use bring in in real conversations
In Slova you learn new words with picture cards, then use them when you talk about the things you love. A few minutes a day, at your level.