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Glite Dictionary
to pitch in

to pitch in

58 3.3
Join others to give work, help, or money for a shared task
  • phrasal verb
  • /pɪtʃ ɪn/
translation icon : echar una mano
  • When funds for one commission became uncertain, a local community group pitched in and helped with a bake sale.
  • pitch in to help

Let's, you know, put them in the newspaper, let's give them an award, let's actually pitch in and help out with their project.

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Examples

  • Keeping time on its course was a community effort; everyone had to pitch in.

    Academic text (2004)

  • Everyone agreed to pitch in and help clean the park this weekend.

  • So she asked if we would pitch in and help deliver a message to you.

    Champion (2017)

  • Yet across the U.S., many of you are finding creative ways to pitch in.

    Academic text (2011)

  • While this problem cannot be blamed on any one individual, we can all pitch in to effect change.

    Academic text (1995)

  • The entire local community pitches in, teaching crafts, playing music, and putting on festivals.

    Academic text (2002)

  • Mandy and Carrie pitched in with the dishes without being asked, and cleanup was quick and easy.

    Fiction book (1991)

  • Hoskins, Medical Staff, Jaxx, Johnson, and Gerry all pitched in to hook up other ailing patients to the serum.

    Fiction book (1993)

  • Haemum and Chae pitched in right away with the younger ones, changing diapers and bandaging scraped knees.

    Fiction book (1998)

  • We decided to pitch in and raise money for the local animal shelter.

Synonyms

to contribute
vsto pitch in
883 2.7

To give money, help, or ideas to make something work

means joining others specifically to add work or resources
to join in
vsto pitch in
143 1.1

To take part in an activity that others are already doing

emphasises joining an activity rather than actively adding resources
to chip in
vsto pitch in
31 3.2

Give money or help together to reach a shared goal

joins a group to contribute work, effort, or resources
to kick in
vsto pitch in
  • Informal
18 4.1

Give money to help pay for a shared cost

covers joining others to give money, work, or effort
to play one's part
vsto pitch in
3.9

Do your share of the work to help a group

involves joining others to offer work or resources broadly

Antonyms

to withdraw
466 2.8

To stop taking part in a place or activity

to abstain
18 5.0

To choose not to take something, often for health or religious reasons

How Involved

to lead
∞ 1.0
to pitch in
58 3.3
help
∞ 1.0
to observe
619 2.4

Surface Forms

pitch in infinitive
pitching in present participle
pitches in third person singular
pitched in past
pitched in past participle

Morphology

pitch + in

The particle 'in' signals joining or entering, which gives a clue that the action involves becoming part of an activity, but the verb 'pitch' (commonly 'throw' or 'set up') does not transparently mean 'help or contribute' to an average B1 learner. Because part of the meaning (joining) is inferable from 'in' but the contributive sense of 'pitch' is lexicalized and not plainly compositional, this is best classified as partially predictable and requiring some exposure.

Etymology

The phrasal verb pitch in may come from the image of people throwing wood into a shared fire. One popular story says people would pitch, meaning 'throw', logs in to keep the fire going, so to pitch in came to mean 'to help out' or 'join others'.