Skip to main content
to rush in

to rush in

36 3.1
Act quickly without thinking, for example by going into a place
  • phrasal verb
  • /rʌʃ ɪn/
translation icon : entrar corriendo
  • When the alarm went off, everyone rushed in to evacuate the building quickly.
  • come rushing in
  • people rush in
  • police rush in

It sounds like we rushed in maybe, but we both knew it was the right thing to do.

Autoplay Next

Examples

  • And that's when, you know, they rush in, they grab him.

  • So the cops rush in and grab me like I'm some kind of criminal.

  • And I rushed in without thinking.

  • There were people rushing in front of you, and you were nervous, and you were scared.

  • I was there... when everyone rushed in and they pushed me away.

  • The paramedics rushed in and I saw my mom for the first time.

  • Marshall and the secretary rush in the opposite direction toward the equipment room.

    Fiction book (1997)
  • When he sees a fire, he rushes in and stamps it out.

  • Onlookers cried out in support and many of them rushed in to join the fight.

  • MARY, a young midwife, rushes in with a bowl of hot water.

    Fiction book (1995)

Synonyms

to rush
vsto rush in
548 1.0

To move or act quickly because a situation needs it

focuses on entering quickly without careful thought rather than urgency
to jump
vsto rush in
  • Informal
366 1.8

To join an activity or take an opportunity quickly and eagerly

denotes sudden physical entry rather than joining activities
to burst
vsto rush in
115 1.9

Enter or appear suddenly with energy

is about sudden arrival combined with lack of careful thought
to dash
vsto rush in
73 1.0

To move very quickly to reach a place

concerns sudden arrival often lacking careful thought rather than speed alone
to barge in
vsto rush in
  • Informal
59 5.5

Enter a room or conversation suddenly and rudely without being invited

is sudden but lacks the rude or intrusive quality
to jump into
vsto rush in
38 3.0

Start taking part in something quickly and with enthusiasm

is about arriving suddenly rather than eager involvement
to burst in
vsto rush in
21 3.3

To enter a room suddenly and interrupt people

is sudden but emphasises doing so without careful thought
to burst in on
vsto rush in
3 5.2

Go into a room or conversation suddenly and interrupt people

focuses more on acting quickly without careful consideration
to jump headlong
vsto rush in
1 7.3

To start something quickly without thinking about the risks

describes sudden physical arrival rather than starting an action

How Quickly

to barge in
  • Informal
59 5.5
to burst in
21 3.3
to rush in
36 3.1
to enter
1.0
to creep in
14 4.9

Surface Forms

rush in infinitive
rushed in past
rushed in past participle
rushing in present participle
rushes in third person singular

Morphology

rush + in

The meaning 'to enter quickly or suddenly' is directly and transparently derived from combining 'rush' (move or act rapidly) with 'in' (into an interior), following the common English motion verb + directional particle pattern. This compositional pattern is cross-linguistically frequent and the additional pragmatic nuance ('without careful thought') is a predictable extension, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

The phrasal verb rush in creates a clear picture: someone running fast into a room, with rush meaning move quickly and in meaning into a place, arriving before they stop to think. So, rush in means to enter or act quickly, often 'without careful thought'.