phrasal verb🧩 phrasal verb

give in

to surrender or yield

What it means

To surrender, stop resisting, or finally agree to something after refusing. It often suggests reluctance rather than enthusiasm.

Words like “give in” are exactly the kind of vocabulary our English vocabulary size test measures — find out how many English words you know.

Examples

  • After hours of begging, she gave in and bought the puppy.
  • Don't give in to pressure from people who don't understand you.
  • He refused to give in, even when everyone disagreed with him.
  • I tried to resist the cake, but eventually I gave in.

Where it comes from

Mostly intransitive. In British English, 'give in' can also mean to hand in homework, similar to American 'turn in'.

Related phrasal verbs

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