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duke in

C1 slang separable transitive
In simple words

To bring someone into a fight or argument.

Literal meaning: 'Dukes' is slang for fists — so 'duke in' could theoretically mean to bring fists into something, but this usage is marginal.

Meanings

1 C1 idiomatic slang

(Very informal, rare) To involve someone in a fight or physical confrontation.

"Don't try to duke me in on your argument with him — that's got nothing to do with me."

Grammar: separable
Usage notes

This is not a widely established phrasal verb and has no standard dictionary entry. It appears very occasionally in highly informal American speech. ESL learners should be aware of it for recognition purposes only. 'Duke it out' and 'duke out' are far more common.

Commonly used with

fight argument confrontation

Forms

Base
duke in
I/you/we/they
3rd person
dukes in
he/she/it
Past simple
duked in
yesterday
Past participle
duked in
have + pp
-ing form
duking in
continuous

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