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Meaning trap

give in to

agree after refusing

to finally agree to do something or accept something after first refusing or resisting it

phrasal verbB2common

Don't mix these meanings

Same phrase, different job.

agree after refusing

to finally agree to do something or accept something after first refusing or resisting it

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Hear it in context

Notice where the phrase sounds natural.

  • After hours of negotiation, the manager finally gave in to the team's request for flexible hours.daily life
  • In my opinion, parents shouldn't always give in to their children's demands, as it can spoil them.IELTS speaking

Fix the pattern

Pattern: give in to + noun/pronoun

WrongI finally gave into his demands.

RightI finally gave in to his demands.

It's two words after 'gave' — 'give in to', not 'give into'.

Patterngive in to + noun/pronoun

Use it right

Choose the version that sounds natural in speech.

Stiff After repeated requests, I acquiesced to their proposal.

Natural They kept asking, so I gave in to them.

'Give in to' is everyday; 'acquiesce to' is very formal/written.

Build natural chunks

Words that usually travel with it.

  • give in to + person/pressure
    pressuredemandstheir wisheshim

Don't confuse it

'Give in to' is different from 'give up', which means to stop trying completely.

Try it in Daily Speak →