phrasal verb

• 1Be socially compatible with other members of a group.

  ‘he feels he should become tough to fit in with his friends’

  More example sentences

  • ‘On an endless search for what is needed to fit in and be socially acceptable, all sense of self is lost.’
  • ‘She was confident of fitting in socially but, during her first term, the workload caused a few concerns.’
  • ‘Early on, his drinking was linked to loneliness and an inability to fit in socially with his fellow players.’
  • ‘Other issues included feelings of social isolation, with students saying they had difficulties fitting in because of a culture clash between university and their home life.’
  • ‘Does your teen have trouble fitting in at school?’
  • ‘They may have poor social skills, have problems fitting in and probably cannot meet the expectations of their family or school.’
  • ‘I never fitted in with the cool kids, and trying to do so was making me unhappy as a teenager.’
  • ‘What if he realized how little she fitted in with those he loved?’
  • ‘I never fitted in with the Catholic community of my home.’

  Synonyms

  conform, be in harmony, belong, blend in

  View synonyms

  1. 1.1Be in harmony with other elements in a situation.
     ‘her project fitted in with the organization's general aims’
     More example sentences

     • ‘He said the deals were ‘a good package’ and fitted in with their strategy of expanding on both sides of the Atlantic.’
     • ‘People were satisfied and extremely elated with the overall results, as they fitted in with the concept of a truly national party, even on face value.’
     • ‘Helen Kidman, chairman of Ilkley Civic Society, said the guide was meant to inspire finer architecture that fitted in with the surrounding area.’
     • ‘‘We picked up the project because it was a good idea and because it fitted in with our health agenda,’ said a spokesman.’
     • ‘Throughout the meal we were treated to a varied array of music which fitted in with the friendly atmosphere of the pub.’
     • ‘Needless to say, the service was attentive, without being overbearing, and fitted in with the relaxed, classy atmosphere.’
     • ‘This fitted in with the free trade approach of the time.’
     • ‘It was none the less an amusing portrayal, which fitted in with the high spirits of the evening if not into the household.’
     • ‘This fits in perfectly with the general social and economic policy of the SPD-Green government.’
     • ‘The drive to increase access to universities fits in with New Labour pronouncements on social inclusion and the ilk.’
  2. 1.2Constitute part of a particular situation or larger structure.
     ‘where do your sisters fit in?’
     More example sentences

     • ‘We don't have any children of our own yet but I don't see how any child of ours would fit into such a situation.’
     • ‘She just wasn't fitting into his plan at all tonight.’
     • ‘Where do you see broadband and videostreaming fitting into your plans?’
     • ‘How do you see those alliances fitting into your long-term business plan?’
     • ‘It certainly fits into my plans to really look at mammals to understand birds better.’
     • ‘He has been in tremendous form and is a fantastic talent who fits into Saints' future plans.’
     • ‘Where did you see yourself fitting into all that?’
     • ‘They are training very hard and have acquired a number of new players this year that are fitting into the team very well.’
     • ‘What I hope is that the coaching staff and my team-mates think that I'm steadily getting better as a player and fitting into the team.’
     • ‘He has not been hampered by timidity or uncertainty, fitting into the side with calm assurance and revealing the extent of his ability.’

• 2fit someone or something in, fit in someone or somethingFind room or have sufficient space for someone or something.

  ‘we fit everybody in the biggest banquet room’

  More example sentences

  • ‘There is enough room to fit the power cable in there, but I think a bit more space would make it easier for people with large hands to connect and disconnect the cable.’
  • ‘The space inside seems too small to fit the elaborate furniture in the room.’
  • ‘I have been focusing on fitting my things into the very limited space this apartment affords.’
  • ‘He disappeared without payment when he had completed the extraordinary task of fitting a spiral staircase into a space deemed impossibly small.’
  • ‘If your club/organisation is missing out on valuable publicity for vital fundraising events, we will always find space each week to fit you in.’
  • ‘I have, however, seen that people with slightly larger cars have experienced difficulty trying to fit their cars into the spaces.’
  • ‘And it could be the answer to the prayers of weekend shoppers who frequently struggle to fit their vehicles into precious spaces.’
  • ‘Do you think that some people don't realise that there is a trade off, that okay if you don't want to have high-rise, you're going to have to take up more space to fit people in?’
  • ‘There was not enough room to fit people in.’
  • ‘He only just fit his belongings into the room, cramming his clothes and most of his toys into the roll-out drawers and using the shelves for his books and stand-alone objects.’

  1. 2.1Succeed in finding time in a busy schedule to see someone or do something.
     ‘I could fit you in at 3.45 this afternoon’
     More example sentences

     • ‘The organisers were hoping the champion runner would fit the event into her busy schedule.’
     • ‘This enabled her to decide when she worked and to fit it in around her busy schedule, which included picking up the kids from school.’
     • ‘How do you fit your workouts into such a busy schedule?’
     • ‘Johnny raised his eyebrows and shrugged, ‘I suppose I could fit you into my extremely busy schedule.’’
     • ‘I tried to eat well and exercised when I could fit it into my busy life.’
     • ‘I fitted my degree into a busy fire service life - it was a case of interrupted study for six years.’
     • ‘We've been looking to play this venue for ages, because it is such a good reputation, but either we were busy or they were busy and couldn't fit us in.’
     • ‘Mr Simpson said on both occasions that he was unable to fit the openings into his busy calendar of events.’
     • ‘Just follow our 10 steps for fitting a new activity into an already busy lifestyle, and you'll be sure to achieve success.’
     • ‘Added to the business of choosing a topic, I must also consider where I will fit the actual writing into my schedule.’