check in
phrasal verb·3 senses·particle in
Meanings
Register at a hotel, airport or event
Why “in”? You reach a place and become present there. The train gets in, you check in, or the news comes in.
“We checked in at the front desk.”
“They checked in at the hotel.”
“We checked in for the conference just after noon.”
Hand over luggage to be loaded onto a plane
Why “in”? Walls close around something. What is in is held inside.
“He checked in two suitcases.”
“Maya checked in her backpack.”
Briefly contact someone to update them
“I'll check in with you tomorrow.”
“I'll check in with you after the interview.”
Don't confuse with
Check in means register at a hotel, airport or event. Check out means leave a hotel after paying.
Test yourself
“We checked in at the front desk.” What does it mean?
Nearby in the meaning map
Sink In connects verbs by particle pattern, contrast pairs, and shared base verbs.
check out
A contrast learners often mix up
Leave a hotel after paying; Look at or examine
ask in
Same in pattern: arrival
Invite someone to enter your home
barge in
Same in pattern: arrival
Enter a place rudely without permission
bask in
Same in pattern: inside
Take great pleasure in attention, success or warmth
be in
Same in pattern: inside
Be present at home or at work
box in
Same in pattern: inside
Surround tightly with little room
break in
Same in pattern: arrival
Enter a building illegally by force
breathe in
Same in pattern: inside
Inhale air
Tell it apart
Side-by-side comparisons with the verbs learners most often confuse for “check in”.
Practice “check in” in Sink In
Drill this and 600+ phrasal verbs with spaced repetition, organised by particle.