# into

Pronunciation: say "IN-too" US /ˈɪn.tu/, UK /ˈɪn.tuː/

## Preposition

1. To or toward the inside of something, or of a place or area, so as to be in it.
   - Simple: Moving so that you go inside something or a place.
   - _She put the letter into her pocket._
   - _The children ran into the sea._
2. Marking a change to another form, substance or state.
   - Simple: Becoming something different, as in 'turn into a wolf'.
   - _The caterpillar changed into a butterfly._
   - _They converted the barn into a house._
3. Marking the division of something to form parts, sections or subgroups.
   - Simple: Divided in parts, as in 'cut into four'.
   - _The book is split into three sections._
   - _The class was sorted into teams._
4. Investigating the subject of, after nouns and verbs of inquiry.
   - Simple: About, after words like 'research' or 'inquiry'.
   - _An investigation into the crash is under way._
   - _We will look into your complaint._
5. Some way through a period of time or an activity, after it has begun.
   - Simple: Some way through a period of time, as in 'ten minutes into the film'.
   - _Three weeks into the job, she was promoted._
   - _The talks ran on into the night._
6. Against something, making contact usually with force; also used of chance meetings.
   - Simple: Hitting something, often hard, as in 'crash into a tree'.
   - _The ball flew into the goalkeeper's face._
   - _She bumped into the table in the dark._
7. Interested in, keen on or attracted to. *(colloquial)*
   - Simple: Very interested in or attracted to, in casual speech, as in 'into jazz'.
   - _My brother is into old cars._
   - _Are you into hiking at all?_
8. Follows verbs such as talk, trick, force or pressure to introduce the action a person is persuaded or compelled to take.
   - Simple: Used after verbs like talk, trick or force to show what someone is pushed or persuaded to do.
   - _Several workers say they were pressured into signing the new contracts._
   - _Nobody forced you into taking this job, so stop complaining about the hours._
10. Attacking or fighting a person or animal. *(colloquial)*
   - Simple: Attacking or fighting someone or an animal, in casual speech, as in 'I'll be into him'.
   - _The terrier was into the rat in a second._
   - _He swore he would be into anyone who laid a finger on his sister._
11. Used to express division with the divisor first, usually after 'go'.
   - Simple: In dividing, as in 'three goes into twelve four times'.
   - _Seven does not go into twenty exactly._
   - _Divide the total by nine, or ask how many times nine goes into it._
9. Following verbs like put, pour or invest, used to name the activity or thing that receives someone's money, time, effort or thought.
   - Simple: Used after words like put or pour to show what gets your time, money or effort.
   - _He clearly put a lot of thought into the wedding speech._
   - _Months of planning went into the launch, and it still failed._

## Preposition

12. Multiplied by; placed between two quantities to mean that one is multiplied by the other to give their product, as times is. *(archaic, British, India)*
   - Simple: Multiplied by, in Indian English and old British use, as in 'five into three is fifteen'.
   - _Two into six is twelve, so the box holds twelve eggs._
   - _The shopkeeper worked out the bill aloud: twelve into five is sixty, so sixty rupees in all._

## Origin

Old English "intō", built from "in" and "to", became Middle English "in-to"; Scots has the related "intae".

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/into (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).