Come in meaning
Come in means to enter a room or building, towards the speaker. It can also mean to arrive, like a train, news or money.
come in
come in · came · come · coming
The door’s open. Come in!
Come 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
Enter a room or building, towards the speaker
come in
- The door’s open. Come in!
- She came in and sat by the window.
- Can I come in for a minute?
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2
Arrive, like a train, news or money
come in
- What time does your flight come in?
- Reports are coming in of a big storm.
- We don’t have much money coming in this month.
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3
Start to be used, like a law or a fashion
come in
- The new law comes in next year.
- When did smartphones come in?
- Short hair for women came in in the 1920s.
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4
Finish a race in a certain place
come in
- She came in second in the race.
- Our team came in last again.
- Where did you come in?
Café orders
New friends
At the airport
Slova
Use come 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 come in separable?
Come in has no object. To name the room, use come into: Come into the kitchen. On its own it ends the sentence: Come in!
Come on in is a friendlier, more welcoming way to say come in: Hi! Come on in, it’s cold out there.
Verb tenses for come in
| Present | I come in · she comes in |
|---|---|
| Past | came in |
| Present perfect | have come in |
| -ing form | coming in |
Common mistakes with come in
What learners often say, and what to say instead.
Wrong: Please, enter in!
Right: Please, come in!
Enter needs no in. Come in is the natural phrase.
Wrong: Our runner came in the second place.
Right: Our runner came in second.
No the and no place after come in.
Wrong: The new rule came on in May.
Right: The new rule came in in May.
Rules and laws come in when they start.
Synonyms and opposites of come in
Words close to it, and words that mean the opposite.
Similar
- go inenter, seen from outside, away from the speaker
- get inenter a car or a small space
- arrivethe general word for meaning 2
Opposite
- go outleave a room or building
- leavego away from a place
Come in quiz
Three quick questions. Pick an answer to see if it is right and why.
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1Someone knocks on your door. You say: ___!
Come in invites someone to enter.
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2Choose the right sentence.
Say came in second.
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3The new speed limit ___ next month.
A new rule comes in when it starts.
More phrasal verbs with come
All phrasal verbs with come, by level, with an exercise
15 phrasal verbs start with come. Test yourself on all of them in a few minutes.
- come fromA1be born in, or live in, a place
- come backA2return to the place where you are or the speaker is
- come downA2move down to a lower place, towards the speaker
- come up withB1think of an idea, a plan or an answer
- come outB1become available to buy, watch or read, like a book or film
- come overB1visit someone at their home
- come onB1tell someone to hurry or to try harder
- come aroundB1visit someone at their home
- come alongB1go somewhere with someone
- come offB1become separated from the thing it was fixed to
- come acrossB2find or meet something or someone by chance
- come upB2be mentioned or talked about
- come apartC2break into pieces
- come throughC2arrive or be officially approved, like a visa or results
Come in FAQ
Questions people ask about come in.
What is the difference between come in and go in?
Come in is said by, or towards, someone inside: Come in, sit down! Go in moves away from the speaker: You go in, I’ll wait here.
What does come in handy mean?
It means be useful at some time: Take an umbrella. It might come in handy.
What does come in for criticism mean?
It means receive criticism: The new app has come in for a lot of criticism. It is common in the news.
Use come 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.