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Glite Dictionary
to punch in

to punch in

5 3.5
Record the time you arrive at work using a time clock or electronic system
  • phrasal verb
  • /pʌnʧ ɪn/
translation icon : fichar
  • Punch in at 8:00, out at 12:00.
  • punch in the code
  • punch in a number
  • time to punch in

Examples

  • - Punch in late and they dock you.

    The Hudsucker Proxy (1994)

  • Students are required to punch in on their timecards to log the amount of class time.

    Academic text (1995)

  • Time to punch in, ladies.

    Training Day (2001)

  • Neither one of them punched in this morning.

    Piranha 3DD (2012)

  • Do not punch in until you are dressed.

    3 Women (1977)

  • It's go-go-go from when you punch in to when you clear down.

    Blog text (25)

  • You punch in at 8:30 every morning, at 7:30 following a business holiday... ...unless it's a Monday, then you punch in 8:00.

    The Hudsucker Proxy (1994)

  • You didn't punch in.

    The Secret of My Success (1987)

  • Make sure to punch in as soon as you arrive at the office.

  • He forgot to punch in and was marked absent for the day.

Synonyms

to clock in
vsto punch in
10 3.2

Use a machine to show the time you arrive at work

has identical meaning but uses a different verb phrase
to clock on
vsto punch in
  • UK
4.8

Record the time you arrive at work with a card or badge

has identical meaning but uses a different verb phrase

Antonyms

to punch out
6 3.9

To record when you finish work using a time clock

How Automated

finger scan
  • Specialized
3.5
to swipe
42 3.0
to punch in
5 3.5
to clock in
10 3.2
to register
603 2.8

Surface Forms

punch in infinitive
punched in past
punched in past participle
punching in present participle
punches in third person singular

Morphology

punch + in

The components suggest a relation—'punch' can mean to press or strike (as when punching a button or time card) and 'in' signals registering entry—so parts of the meaning are inferable. However, the specific sense 'record arrival time at work' relies on knowledge of time-clock practices and an extended, institutional use of 'punch', so it is not fully predictable for a B1 learner who only knows the most literal senses.

Etymology

The phrase punch in comes from old time clocks. Workers slid a paper card in a machine and punched it so the machine would stamp the time, so to punch in means 'to record the time you arrive at work'.