to tuck in
53
3.0
- phrasal verb
- /tʌk ɪn/
- Informal
:
arropar
- When he was four years old, I went into his bedroom to tuck him in and tell him good night.
Examples
-
My mother would tuck me in, turn off the light, and close the door.
Academic text (2009) -
You were asleep last night when I tucked you in, weren't you?
-
And then I go to tuck him in bed that night, and the kid is crying.
-
How about you get ready for bed and I'll come and tuck you in?
-
Julie, I was just coming to tuck you in.
-
The first night in the new house, I went to tuck Sissy in.
Fiction book (1993) -
My mom always tucks me in in case I have night terrors.
-
I'm gonna go tuck Linda in and maybe read her a bedtime story.
-
They're all tucked in and half asleep.
-
After the lights went out, I went to tuck in my daughter, making sure she was cozy under the blankets.
Synonyms
12
3.8
To wrap a baby tightly in cloth to keep them warm
To wrap someone or something warmly in a blanket
Antonyms
How Compact
94
3.7
8
5.5
- Informal
53
3.0
16
4.3
1
3.9
6
3.0
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly derivable from combining 'tuck' (to push or fold something into place securely) with the directional particle 'in' (into), yielding the idea of folding bedding inward around someone. This verb+particle composition is a common, transparent pattern in English (and parallels exist in many languages), so a B1 learner who knows the constituents should understand the MWE.
Etymology
Tuck in for bedtime comes from the action of tuck, putting sheets and blankets in around a person so they are snug. That's why tuck in means 'to arrange bedding around someone to prepare them for sleep'.