1 B1 idiomatic informal
To report someone's wrongdoing to a person in authority. (Australian/NZ)
"Someone dobbed him in to the manager for taking long lunch breaks."
separable
dob in
B1 informal separable transitive
To report someone to an authority for doing something wrong; to inform on someone. (Australian/NZ English)
In plain English
To tell a teacher, parent, or police officer that someone has done something bad.
What does "dob in" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 C1 idiomatic informal
To nominate or volunteer someone for a task, often without their consent. (Australian)
"She was dobbed in to organise the end-of-year party before she even knew about it."
separable
Usage tip
Primarily Australian and New Zealand English. Rarely used in British or American English. Also used in Australian English to mean volunteering or nominating someone (often without their agreement) for a task.
Words that pair with "dob in"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
police teacher boss authority colleague
How to conjugate "dob in"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
dob in
I/you/we/they
3rd person
dobs in
he/she/it
Past simple
dobed in
yesterday
Past participle
dobed in
have + pp
-ing form
dobing in
continuous
Hear "dob in" in the wild
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