home in

phrasal verb·1 sense·particle in

Usefulness

Meanings

1

Direct attention or movement precisely toward a target

Focus

Why “in”? Attention or movement narrows towards one exact target and stays fixed there.

“They homed in on the problem.”
They directed their attention precisely on the problem.
“The camera homed in on her face.”
The camera directed its attention precisely toward her face.

Test yourself

“They homed in on the problem.” What does it mean?

Nearby in the meaning map

Sink In connects verbs by particle pattern, contrast pairs, and shared base verbs.

lock in

Same in pattern: focus

Confine by locking; Make fixed or agreed; Focus fully without interruption

zero in

Same in pattern: focus

Focus attention precisely on something

zoom in

Same in pattern: focus

Adjust a view to show a closer area

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