1 B1 idiomatic informal
To arrive in large or steady amounts, especially money, orders, or messages.
"Once the advert went live, the orders started rolling in."
roll in
B1 informal intransitive
To arrive in large quantities or with ease, or to arrive casually and often late.
In plain English
To arrive — either in big amounts (like money), or when a person shows up relaxed and maybe late.
What does "roll in" mean?
3 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B1 idiomatic informal
To arrive somewhere casually, often late or unannounced.
"He rolled in at midnight without a word of explanation."
3 B1 neutral
(Of weather, fog, or tide) to move in and cover an area.
"A thick sea fog rolled in overnight and grounded all the flights."
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To enter a space by rolling — the fog or tide rolling in retains the literal image.
Actually means
To arrive — either in big amounts (like money), or when a person shows up relaxed and maybe late.
Usage tip
The 'arrive casually/late' sense (of people) often carries mild disapproval. The 'money rolling in' sense is very common and positive. Also used for fog, clouds, or tide coming in physically. All senses are informal or neutral.
Words that pair with "roll in"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
money cash profits orders fog tide waves complaints results
How to conjugate "roll in"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
roll in
I/you/we/they
3rd person
rolls in
he/she/it
Past simple
rolled in
yesterday
Past participle
rolled in
have + pp
-ing form
rolling in
continuous
Hear "roll in" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "roll in" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Keep exploring
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