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to fit in

to fit in

172 3.0
Be part of a group and feel accepted by others
  • phrasal verb
  • /fɪt ɪn/
translation icon : encajar
  • Joining the art club helped him fit in and make new connections.
  • fit in with peers
  • fit in here
  • struggle to fit in

Stop, stop shrinking, stop trying to fit in, stop performing.

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Examples

  • After moving to a new city, I found it difficult to fit in with my coworkers.

  • Did you manage to fit in better at school?

  • Stop trying to fit in and start trying to stand out.

  • So trying to fit in was always a challenge.

  • My generation grew up during a time when we tried to fit in; my whole family did.

    Fiction book (1994)
  • Consideration is given to how the student may fit in with the group.

    Academic text (2001)
  • You worry that your child will never fit in socially, emotionally, or academically.

    Academic text (2006)
  • I feel that my apparel helps me to "fit in" with my peers at the University of Georgia.

    Academic text (2011)
  • And frankly, I don't think I ever really fit in because, well, if I'm being honest, I was just as weird as you when I was a kid.

  • She felt happy when she finally started to fit in with her new group of friends.

Synonyms

to belong
vsto fit in
671 1.8

To feel accepted as part of a group

is about blending harmoniously with others rather than only membership
to fall in
vsto fit in
272 3.7

To join a group, team, or club

implies social acceptance and fitting smoothly rather than merely joining
to conform
vsto fit in
96 3.2

Think and act like other people or follow rules

is about natural acceptance and harmony rather than only following rules
to assimilate
vsto fit in
77 6.1

Become similar to other people by joining their group and learning their customs

involves being accepted but stresses cultural change more than simple blending
to integrate
vsto fit in
75 4.1

To become part of a larger group and take part in its life

emphasizes social harmony and acceptance rather than structural or formal inclusion
to mingle
vsto fit in
64 3.1

Join and talk with other people at a meeting or party

means being accepted and blending in socially rather than just casual mixing
to blend in
vsto fit in
20 3.7

Be similar to people or things around you so you are not noticed

focuses on social acceptance and belonging rather than hiding among others

Antonyms

839 1.9

Refuse to accept someone or something

338 3.0

To keep someone or something out so they are not part of something

123 6.7

To make someone feel alone and lose support from others

How Accepted

to assimilate
77 6.1
to fit in
172 3.0
to tolerate
56 3.2

Surface Forms

fit in infinitive
fitted in past
fitted in past participle
fitting in present participle
fits in third person singular

Morphology

fit + in

The sense ‘to be accepted or to blend with a group’ is directly built from 'fit' (to be suitable or match) + 'in' (inside/within a group), so the overall meaning follows a straightforward spatial-to-social composition. This compositional pattern is cross-linguistically common and should be inferable for a B1 learner who knows both constituents.

Etymology

Fit in comes from the image of a person finding a place inside a group, like someone fitting into a circle of friends. When a person can settle into that space and feel part of the group, they fit in, so the phrase means 'to be accepted as a member of a group'.