1 B2 informal
To shade or fill in a circular bubble on a standardized answer sheet to indicate a chosen response.
"Make sure you bubble in your answers completely or the scanner won't read them correctly."
separable
bubble in
B2 informal separable transitive
To fill in or shade a circular bubble on a standardized test or form.
In plain English
To color in the little circle on a test sheet to show your answer.
What does "bubble in" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B2 informal
To enter personal information on an official form by filling in bubble-style fields.
"Bubble in your student ID number at the top of the test booklet before you start."
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To fill something in by placing it inside a bubble shape.
Actually means
To color in the little circle on a test sheet to show your answer.
Usage tip
Primarily used in American English in educational or testing contexts, referring to filling in OMR (optical mark recognition) answer sheets. Common in US high school and college settings.
Words that pair with "bubble in"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
answer choice letter response number sheet
How to conjugate "bubble in"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
bubble in
I/you/we/they
3rd person
bubbles in
he/she/it
Past simple
bubbled in
yesterday
Past participle
bubbled in
have + pp
-ing form
bubbling in
continuous
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