1 C1 neutral
To adjust the sights of a firearm so that it shoots accurately at a specific distance.
"He spent the morning at the range sighting in his new hunting rifle before deer season."
separable
sight in
C1 neutral separable transitive
To adjust and calibrate the sights of a firearm so that it shoots accurately at a given distance.
In plain English
To adjust the aiming part of a gun so that it hits exactly where you want at a certain distance.
What does "sight in" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 C1 neutral
To bring a target into the sights of a weapon; to aim carefully.
"The sniper sighted in on the marked position and waited."
inseparable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To bring a weapon's sights into alignment with the intended point of impact — the physical meaning is very close to the actual use.
Actually means
To adjust the aiming part of a gun so that it hits exactly where you want at a certain distance.
Usage tip
Specialized term used in shooting sports, hunting, and military contexts. Rarely used outside these domains. Common in North American English particularly among hunting communities. Also written as 'sight-in' (hyphenated).
Words that pair with "sight in"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
rifle scope firearm target range crossbow
How to conjugate "sight in"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
sight in
I/you/we/they
3rd person
sights in
he/she/it
Past simple
sighted in
yesterday
Past participle
sighted in
have + pp
-ing form
sighting in
continuous
Hear "sight in" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "sight in" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Keep exploring
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