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Glite Dictionary
to work in

to work in

268 3.5
To add something carefully into a mixture or conversation
  • phrasal verb
translation icon : incorporar
  • It's important to work in all the ingredients slowly to create a smooth batter.

Examples

  • The chef will work in fresh herbs to enhance the dish's flavor.

  • She decided to work in a few additional examples to clarify her presentation.

  • What department do you work in?

    The Bone Collector (1999)

  • One stated, "I feel like I worked in a different place than the rest of you."

    Academic text (2008)

  • We work in the same corporation.

    The Insider (1999)

  • I wish Father could afford to pay someone to work in the shop instead of me.

    Fiction book (1993)

  • Pockets where students can work in small or large groups were part of the design.

    Academic text (2011)

  • Having been demobilized from the army, I now began working in my new profession.

    Fiction book (1994)

  • In Turkey, women mostly work in the public sector as civil servants or assistants.

    Academic text (2008)

  • One woman who briefly worked in retail sales described the fun she had with her coworkers.

    Academic text (2008)

Synonyms

to mix
vsto work in
416 1.0

To combine two or more things so they become one

emphasizes careful introducing rather than broad general joining
to blend
vsto work in
255 2.3

To mix things so they become one or look good together

focuses on careful addition instead of full seamless integration
to stir
vsto work in
152 1.0

To mix a liquid by moving it with a spoon

refers to adding something carefully rather than only agitating contents
to mix in
vsto work in
39 1.8

To add something to food and stir so it becomes part of the food

adds or incorporates carefully rather than generally joining things
to meld
vsto work in
18 5.3

To mix things so they become one

keeps added pieces distinct during careful incorporation
to blend in
vsto work in
3 3.3

Mix one ingredient into others until the mixture is smooth

introduces items carefully instead of fully merging into one
to admix
vsto work in
1 8.8

To mix one substance with another so they become combined

is about careful incorporating into a mixture rather than formal combination

Antonyms

to remove
∞ 1.5

To move something or someone away from a place

to exclude
338 3.0

To keep someone or something out so they are not part of something

How Mixed

to homogenize
  • Specialized
12 6.1
to blend in
3 3.3
to mix in
39 1.8
to work in
268 3.5
to fold
220 1.0
to add
∞ 1.0
to sprinkle
100 1.1

Surface Forms

work in infinitive
worked in past
worked in past participle
working in present participle
works in third person singular

Morphology

work + in

The sense 'to add or incorporate into' follows directly from combining 'work' (to manipulate, shape, or prepare) with 'in' (into/inside), yielding the idea of manipulating something into a mixture or situation. This verb+particle composition is a common, mostly literal phrasal pattern and is therefore likely to be inferable by a B1 learner who knows the constituent words.

Etymology

The verb work in comes from the image of stirring something into a bowl: you work an ingredient in by mixing it until it becomes part of the whole. So, work in means 'to add or include something carefully into a mix or situation'.