1 B2 informal
To return to and resume an activity, routine, or place after a period of absence
"After her maternity leave, she started back in at the office on Monday."
start back in
B2 informal intransitive
To resume an activity, job, or routine after a break or interruption
In plain English
To start doing something again after you stopped for a while
What does "start back in" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B2 informal
To begin working on something again with renewed effort after stopping
"He took a month off from the gym, then started back in with a new fitness plan."
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To start going back into something — the idea of re-entering an activity
Actually means
To start doing something again after you stopped for a while
Usage tip
Primarily used in American English. Often followed by a gerund or a prepositional phrase indicating the activity resumed. More emphatic than simply 'start again'.
Words that pair with "start back in"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
work school training practice job routine
How to conjugate "start back in"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
start back in
I/you/we/they
3rd person
starts back in
he/she/it
Past simple
started back in
yesterday
Past participle
started back in
have + pp
-ing form
starting back in
continuous
Hear "start back in" in the wild
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