1 B2 informal
To hit someone or something hard and directly.
"He socked the ball into the back of the net with a powerful kick."
inseparable
sock into
B2 informal inseparable transitive
To hit someone or something hard, or to tackle a task with great energy and force.
In plain English
To hit something really hard, or to start doing a job with a lot of energy.
What does "sock into" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B2 idiomatic informal
To start doing something with great enthusiasm and energy.
"Right, the deadline is tomorrow — let's sock into this report straight away."
inseparable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To sock (punch) into something — the literal sense is transparent; the figurative extension is mildly idiomatic.
Actually means
To hit something really hard, or to start doing a job with a lot of energy.
Usage tip
Primarily informal British English. Less common than 'get stuck into' or 'dig into' for the figurative sense. May sound old-fashioned to some speakers.
Words that pair with "sock into"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
work meal opponent task problem job
How to conjugate "sock into"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
sock into
I/you/we/they
3rd person
socks into
he/she/it
Past simple
socked into
yesterday
Past participle
socked into
have + pp
-ing form
socking into
continuous
Hear "sock into" in the wild
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Other ways to say "sock into"
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