50 Useful Phrasal Verbs with In and Into

Learning phrasal verbs with in and into can help you sound much more natural in English. In this lesson, you will learn 50 useful phrasal verbs with clear meanings, natural example sentences, and a short practice task. In this lesson, you will learn 50 useful phrasal verbs with in and into, with simple meanings and natural example sentences. These expressions are especially useful for everyday English, but many of them also appear in speaking and writing tasks for exams such as B2 First and C1 Advanced.

Before we begin, here is a quick tip:

• in often suggests being inside or becoming involved
• into often suggests movement from outside to inside or becoming deeply involved in something

Now let us look at the phrasal verbs.

1. ask in

Meaning: to invite someone into your house or room

Example: She asked the postman in because it was pouring with rain.

2. barge in

Meaning: to enter suddenly and rudely, or to interrupt

Example: He never knocks — he just barges in and starts talking.

3. book in / book into

Meaning: to register at a hotel or hospital on arrival

Example: We booked into the hotel and went straight out for lunch.

4. break in / break into

Meaning: to enter a building or car by force

Example: Thieves broke into the house while the family were away.

5. bring in

Meaning: to introduce someone or something, or to involve extra help

Example: The company brought in a new manager to improve performance.

6. breathe in

Meaning: to inhale

Example: Breathe in deeply and then slowly breathe out.

7. bump into

Meaning: to meet someone unexpectedly

Example: I bumped into my old English teacher in town yesterday.

8. butt in

Meaning: to interrupt a conversation rudely

Example: She always butts in when other people are speaking.

9. call in

Meaning: to ask someone to come and help

Example: They had to call in an electrician to fix the problem.

10. check in

Meaning: to report your arrival at a hotel or airport

Example: We checked in online the night before our flight.

11. come in / come into

Meaning: to enter a place

Example: Come in and make yourself at home.

12. count in

Meaning: to include someone in an activity or plan

Example: That sounds like fun — count me in.

13. cut in

Meaning: to interrupt someone while they are speaking

Example: Sorry to cut in, but there’s a phone call for you.

14. dig into

Meaning: to investigate or examine something carefully

Example: Journalists have started digging into the company’s finances.

15. dip in / dip into

Meaning: to put something briefly into liquid

Example: He dipped his chips into the sauce.

16. draw into

Meaning: to involve someone in something

Example: I didn’t want to be drawn into their argument.

17. drop in

Meaning: to visit someone informally and without much planning

Example: Why don’t you drop in for a cup of tea later?

18. eat in

Meaning: to eat at home rather than go out to a restaurant

Example: It’s cold tonight, so let’s eat in.

19. enter into

Meaning: to begin discussing or becoming involved in something formal

Example: The two sides refused to enter into further negotiations.

20. fill in

Meaning: to do someone’s job temporarily while they are away

Example: I’m filling in for my colleague while she’s off sick.

21. fit in

Meaning: to feel accepted in a group

Example: It took him a few weeks to fit in at his new school.

22. get in

Meaning: to enter a place, vehicle, or building

Example: Get in the car — we’re late already.

23. give in

Meaning: to stop resisting; to admit defeat

Example: After hours of arguing, he finally gave in.

24. hook into

Meaning: to connect to a system, network, or device

Example: The printer is hooked into the main computer.

25. join in

Meaning: to take part in an activity

Example: Everyone was singing, so I joined in as well.

26. jump in

Meaning: to suddenly interrupt or become involved quickly

Example: She jumped in before I had finished explaining.

27. keep in

Meaning: to make someone stay indoors

Example: The children were kept in because of the heavy rain.

28. key in

Meaning: to type information into a machine or computer

Example: The receptionist keyed in my details.

29. kick in

Meaning: to start having an effect

Example: The painkillers took a while to kick in.

30. land in

Meaning: to get someone into trouble or a difficult situation

Example: His careless comments landed him in trouble at work.

31. let in

Meaning: to allow someone or something to enter

Example: Open the window and let some fresh air in.

32. live in

Meaning: to live in the place where you work, or to live permanently in a place

Example: They employed a live-in nanny to help with the children.

33. lock in

Meaning: to lock someone inside a place

Example: She was accidentally locked in the office overnight.

34. log in / log into

Meaning: to access a computer system or website by entering your details

Example: I couldn’t log into my email this morning.

35. look in

Meaning: to make a short visit to check that someone is all right

Example: Could you look in on my grandmother while I’m away?

36. look into

Meaning: to investigate

Example: The council promised to look into the problem.

37. move in

Meaning: to begin living in a new home

Example: They moved in just before Christmas.

38. opt in / opt into

Meaning: to choose to take part in something

Example: Employees can opt into the new training scheme.

39. plug in

Meaning: to connect a piece of electrical equipment to the power supply

Example: I plugged in my phone to charge it.

40. rope in

Meaning: to persuade someone to help you, often unwillingly

Example: They roped me in to help organise the school fair.

41. run in

Meaning: to arrest someone and take them to the police station

Example: The police ran him in for questioning.

42. settle in

Meaning: to become comfortable in a new place or situation

Example: It took the children a while to settle in at their new school.

43. sign in

Meaning: to write your name or register when you arrive somewhere

Example: All visitors must sign in at reception.

44. shut in

Meaning: to keep someone inside a room or building

Example: The little boy felt miserable when he was shut in all day.

45. stay in

Meaning: to remain at home instead of going out

Example: We decided to stay in and watch a film.

46. step in

Meaning: to become involved in order to help or stop something

Example: Her teacher stepped in before the argument got worse.

47. take in

Meaning: to visit and enjoy a place or sight

Example: While in Edinburgh, we took in all the main sights.

48. talk into

Meaning: to persuade someone to do something

Example: She talked me into applying for the job.

49. turn into

Meaning: to change into something else

Example: The light rain soon turned into a storm.

50. wait in

Meaning: to stay at home because you are expecting someone or something

Example: I had to wait in all morning for the parcel to arrive.

Common notes and mistakes

Here are a few useful points to remember: in and into are not always interchangeable. We usually use into when there is movement from outside to inside:

• She walked into the room.
• Thieves broke into the house.

We often use in when someone or something is already inside, or when the verb has an established fixed form:

• Come in
• Stay in
• Join in

Some phrasal verbs have more than one meaning

For example:

• take in can mean visit and enjoy, but it can also mean understand or deceive
• fill in can mean replace someone temporarily, but it can also mean complete a form
• call in can mean ask for help, but it can also mean visit briefly

That is why context matters so much.

Quick practice

Choose the correct phrasal verb:

1. I didn’t expect to ________ my old neighbour at the station.
2. Could you ________ on the dog while we’re on holiday?
3. We had to ________ an expert to solve the issue.
4. I was tired, so I decided to ________ instead of going out.
5. She finally ________ me ________ going on the trip.
6. The medicine should ________ in after about twenty minutes.
7. They’ve just ________ in to their new flat.
8. Please don’t ________ in while I’m explaining this.

Answers:

1. bump into, 2. look in, 3. call in, 4. stay in, 5. talked / into, 6. kick, 7. moved, 8. cut / butt

Final thoughts

Learning phrasal verbs with in and into will make your English sound much more natural and expressive. These verbs are extremely common in everyday speech, and many of them are also useful in exam speaking and writing.

The best way to remember them is not to memorise long lists blindly, but to learn them in context, notice how they are used, and practise them regularly in sentences of your own.

FAQ 

What are phrasal verbs with in and into?
Phrasal verbs with in and into are verb combinations such as check in, bump into, and look into. They are very common in everyday English.

What is the difference between in and into in phrasal verbs?
Into often suggests movement from outside to inside, while in often suggests being inside or becoming involved. However, many phrasal verbs are fixed expressions, so you need to learn them as whole units.

Are phrasal verbs with in and into useful for Cambridge exams?
Yes. Phrasal verbs are very useful for Cambridge exams such as B2 First and C1 Advanced because they make your English sound more natural and flexible.