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to come into

to come into

105 3.9
To receive money or property unexpectedly, often after someone dies
  • phrasal verb
  • /kʌm ˈɪntu/
translation icon : recibir
  • After his uncle passed away, he unexpectedly came into a large inheritance.

How the blank book came into my possession.

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Examples

  • So we find out who in Damascus has come into money and paid for a rich funeral.

    Fiction book (2000)
  • Suki from down the street just came into work and said she saw your car over on Glenview Terrace.

  • We came into a Man United team that was already successful and already had great players and a great manager.

  • My very best girlfriend just came into town.

  • Care to tell us how you came into possession of an illegal access program?

    Fiction book (1995)
  • By an odd coincidence, that cup later came into the hands of Master Rich here.

  • I heard footsteps down the stairs, and my father came into the kitchen with his black doctor's bag.

    Fiction book (1996)
  • When President Obama came into office, he immediately signed an executive order stopping what they call "enhanced interrogation torture" at CIA facilities overseas.

  • She didn't think she would come into such good fortune when she found the lost wallet.

  • When the company's founder retired, his daughter came into control of the business.

Synonyms

to receive
vsto come into
1.0

To get something that someone gives you

focuses on getting things often by chance or inheritance rather than generally
to come by
vsto come into
127 3.2

Get something, often by luck or after effort

tends to mean obtaining by chance or inheritance rather than by struggle
to come upon
vsto come into
  • Formal
2 7.6

To receive property or money after someone dies as an inheritance

often implies getting things by chance or inheritance rather than formal procedure
to enter upon
vsto come into
  • Formal
1 6.8

To take legal control of land or property

refers to getting things often by chance or inheritance rather than formal takeover

Antonyms

1.1

Fail to understand or follow what someone says

233 2.0

Hand something to someone without asking for money

How Much

to inherit
162 3.6
to come into
105 3.9
to receive
1.0
to get
1.0

Surface Forms

come into infinitive
came into past
coming into present participle
comes into third person singular
come into past participle

Morphology

come + into

The sense 'to receive or acquire' is partially derivable because 'come' (arrive) plus 'into' (movement/change into a state) yields the idea of something arriving into one’s possession, so a learner can plausibly infer a general meaning. However, the nuance that this commonly refers to chance or inheritance and the fixed transitive pattern (e.g. 'come into money') are somewhat conventionalized and not fully predictable to a B1 learner without exposure.

Etymology

Come into uses the simple image of something that comes into your hands or house, like money arriving after a relative dies or a surprise gift, so it means 'to receive' or 'to get' something.