into
into — preposition
1. moving from a position outside to a position within the boundaries of a space, c
moving from a position outside to a position within the boundaries of a space, container, or area — for example, walking into a room, pouring water into a cup, or driving into a garage.
Lan carefully walked into the dark room and turned on the light.
walk into + place for entering a space
Cole poured the milk into a tall glass for his little sister.
The letter from Luca's grandmother had slipped into a pile of newspapers.
A small bird flew into the kitchen through the open window this morning.
fly into + place showing movement from outside to inside
Rania put her keys into her bag just before leaving the house.
- walk into
- go into
- come into
- pour into
- put into
- step into
- jump into
- out of
movement from inside to outside
Grammar Patterns
verb + into + noun phrase referring to a place, container, or enclosed space
Usage Note
Frequently used with verbs that describe movement from one location to another. The object of 'into' is typically an enclosed space, a container, or a defined area.
Common Mistakes
2. indicating movement from one condition, form, or appearance to another — for exa
indicating movement from one condition, form, or appearance to another — for example, ice turning into water, a caterpillar changing into a butterfly, or a building being converted into apartments.
The water in the freezer had turned into solid ice by morning.
turn into + noun for change of physical state
Hari carefully rolled the dough into a thin, even circle for the pizza.
The old shoe factory was converted into a large modern art gallery.
passive: be converted into for repurposing a place
Caterpillars slowly change into beautiful butterflies inside a silk cocoon.
Inês's surprise turned into excitement as she unwrapped the birthday gift.
- turn into
- change into
- convert into
- transform into
- develop into
- grow into
- split into
- divide into
- to
used with 'change' or 'turn' but less specific; 'turn to ice' vs 'turn into ice' — 'into' emphasizes a complete transformation
Grammar Patterns
verb + into + noun phrase referring to a new state, form, or condition
Usage Note
Typically follows verbs of transformation such as 'turn,' 'change,' 'convert,' 'transform,' 'develop,' or 'grow.' The object names the resulting state or form.
Common Mistakes
3. showing that a moving person or object strikes against a surface or another obje
showing that a moving person or object strikes against a surface or another object with noticeable force, without going inside — for example, a car crashing into a wall or someone bumping into a door.
The blue car skidded on the ice and crashed into a large tree.
crash into + object for violent collision
Eitan bumped into the edge of the table and spilled his hot coffee.
A powerful wave crashed into the side of the small fishing boat.
Liang walked straight into a glass door that he thought was open.
walk into + object for accidental impact
Isabela rode her bicycle into a parked car while checking her phone.
- crash into
- bump into
- run into
- smash into
- slam into
- walk into
- drive into
- against
suggests contact without implying force of movement; 'leaned against the wall' vs 'crashed into the wall'
Grammar Patterns
verb + into + noun phrase referring to a surface or object hit with force
Usage Note
The object of 'into' in this sense is always a solid surface or object that stops the movement. The verb itself often carries information about force ('crash,' 'smash,' 'slam') or accidental contact ('bump,' 'walk').
Common Mistakes
4. indicating that a person or thing is positioned, looking, or moving toward a par
indicating that a person or thing is positioned, looking, or moving toward a particular direction or focal point — for example, staring into the distance, speaking into a microphone, or driving into the wind.
Luca stared into the dark forest but could see no movement at all.
stare into + direction for directing gaze
Amihan whispered something into her friend's ear during the movie.
The delivery truck drove north into a strong wind for most of the day.
drive into the wind for movement against a force
Wren gazed into the distance, thinking about the summer ahead.
The living room windows face into the garden at the back of the house.
- look into
- stare into
- gaze into
- shout into
- whisper into
- speak into
- face into
- drive into
- toward
more general direction without the sense of focused attention or penetration
- away from
movement in the opposite direction
Grammar Patterns
verb + into + noun phrase referring to a direction or focal point
Usage Note
Common with verbs of seeing or speaking ('look,' 'stare,' 'gaze,' 'whisper,' 'shout') and verbs of facing or orienting. The direction is usually a broad area, not a specific enclosed space.
Common Mistakes
5. relating to or connected with a particular subject, topic, or activity — for exa
relating to or connected with a particular subject, topic, or activity — for example, researching into a historical event, launching an inquiry into a problem, or getting into a conversation about politics.
The police are looking into the cause of the fire at the warehouse.
look into + topic for investigating
The government launched a formal inquiry into the safety of the bridge.
inquiry into + topic for formal investigation
Liang did years of careful research into the history of his hometown.
The documentary offered a deep look into the lives of farmers in Kenya.
Isabela read widely about the topic of ocean pollution for her project.
- look into
- inquire into
- research into
- investigate into
- go into
- get into
- delve into
- probe into
Grammar Patterns
noun/verb + into + noun phrase referring to a topic, subject, or activity
Usage Note
Often paired with nouns or verbs that suggest examination or investigation ('research,' 'inquiry,' 'investigation,' 'look'). Less formal synonyms include 'about' or 'on,' but 'into' implies deeper or more active engagement.
6. used in arithmetic to express the operation of dividing one number or quantity b
used in arithmetic to express the operation of dividing one number or quantity by another — for example, 'three into twelve' meaning twelve divided by three, or cutting a rope into several pieces of equal size.
Two into six equals three, which Lan calculated in her head.
[number] into [number] for arithmetic division
Lan divided the birthday cake into eight slices so everyone could have one.
The teacher asked the children to split the class into four small groups.
split into + number of parts for physical division
Eight into forty is five, as Cole quickly worked out.
Eitan cut the long rope into three pieces of exactly equal length.
- divide into
- split into
- cut into
- separate into
- divided by
more common in modern mathematical language; 'into' is traditional and can be confusing
- multiplied by
the inverse arithmetic operation
Grammar Patterns
number + into + number (expressing division)
verb + into + number of parts
Usage Note
In everyday mathematics, 'divided by' is more common than 'into' for stating division questions ('twelve divided by three'). The 'into' form appears in traditional arithmetic phrasing ('three into twelve goes four times').
7. showing strong or active interest and enjoyment in a particular activity, hobby,
showing strong or active interest and enjoyment in a particular activity, hobby, or subject — for example, being really into photography or getting into playing the guitar.
Tuan is really into photography and takes pictures every weekend.
be into + activity for expressing strong interest
Yasmin is into yoga and attends classes three times per week.
Hari got into playing the guitar after watching a concert online.
get into + activity for starting a new interest
Rania is not into team sports, but she loves swimming by herself.
The children are really into building things with colourful plastic blocks.
- be into
- get into
- really into
- not into
- interested in
more neutral and formal; covers a wider range of interest levels
- keen on
British English; similar level of enthusiasm to 'into'
- not interested in
neutral opposite; lacks the informal flavour
Grammar Patterns
be + into + noun phrase (activity or interest)
get + into + noun phrase (activity or interest)
Usage Note
This sense is informal and conversational. In formal writing, 'interested in' or 'enthusiastic about' are preferred. The negative form 'not into' is very common in everyday speech.
Common Mistakes
be into something
idiomTo like or enjoy doing a particular activity or hobby.
Maya is really into playing the guitar these days.
Are you into cooking, or do you prefer eating out?
To owe a specific amount of money to another person.
After the loan, Diego was into his brother for $200.
Sara is into me for the concert tickets she bought.
Synonym discussion
Sense: preposition/1
'Into,' 'in,' 'inside,' and 'within' all relate to being enclosed or surrounded by something, but they differ in how they express movement versus position. 'Into' is the only one that implies movement from outside to a position inside: you walk into a room (entering from outside) but you are already in the room (static position). 'Inside' emphasises being fully enclosed by the boundaries of a space — it sounds more specific than 'in' and is common when contrasting interior with exterior: 'Come inside where it is warm.' 'Within' is more formal and often used for abstract or figurative boundaries, such as 'within the rules' or 'within walking distance.' In everyday conversation, 'into' is the natural choice for describing the action of entering, 'in' for describing position, and 'inside' when the contrast with outside matters.
Common collocations
Adverbs
- straight into
- directly into
- right into
- back into
- deep into
- far into
Etymology
The word 'into' was formed in Old English by combining the adverb/preposition 'in' with the preposition 'to.' By the late 800s, the two words had fused into a single term expressing both position (in) and direction (to). This combination gave English a precise way to describe movement from outside to a point within something — a single word that would otherwise require a longer phrase.