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dip into

B1 neutral transitive
In simple words

To read just a little of a book, or to take some money from your savings.

Literal meaning: To briefly lower something into a liquid and bring it back out.

Meanings

1 B1 idiomatic neutral

To read parts of a book occasionally or briefly rather than reading it all the way through.

"This anthology is great to dip into on the train rather than reading cover to cover."

2 B1 idiomatic neutral

To take an amount of money from savings or a reserve fund, especially unplanned.

"We had to dip into our emergency fund to pay for the boiler repair."

3 B2 idiomatic neutral

To briefly explore or sample a subject, activity, or area without committing fully.

"The documentary dips into some fascinating aspects of marine biology."

Usage notes

Very common in all registers. The 'reading' and 'savings' senses are both frequent in everyday language. Implies partial or non-committed engagement — you do not commit fully to the book or spend all the money.

Commonly used with

savings book reserves collection pocket funds

Forms

Base
dip into
I/you/we/they
3rd person
dips into
he/she/it
Past simple
diped into
yesterday
Past participle
diped into
have + pp
-ing form
diping into
continuous

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