[inside and out] See: INS AND OUTS, INSIDE OUT(2).
[inside of] <prep.> In; within; on or in an inside part of; not beyond; before the end of. * /There is a broom inside of the closet./ * /There is a label on the inside of the box./ * /Hand your papers in to me inside of three days./ Contrast: OUTSIDE OF.
[inside out] <adv.> 1. So that the inside is turned outside. * /Mother turns the stockings inside out when she washes them./ 2. or [inside and out] also [in and out] In every part; throughout; completely. * /David knows the parts of his bicycle inside out./ * /We searched the house inside and out for the kitten./ Compare: BACKWARDS AND FORWARDS, INS AND OUTS, THROUGH AND THROUGH.
[inside track] <n. phr.> 1. The inside, shortest distance around a curved racetrack; the place that is closest to the inside fence. * /A big white horse had the inside track at the start of the race./ 2. <informal> An advantage due to special connections or information. * /I would probably get that job if I could get the inside track./
[insofar as ] <conj.> To the extent that; to the point that; as much as. * /You will learn your lessons only insofar as you are willing to keep studying them./
[in so many words] <adv. phr.> 1. In those exact words. * /He hinted that he thought we were foolish but did not say so in so many words./ 2. or [in no uncertain terms] In an outspoken way; plainly; directly. * /I told him in so many words that he was crazy./ * /Bob was very late for their date, and Mary told Bob in no uncertain terms what she thought of him./ Compare: WORDS OF ONE SYLLABLE.
[in someone else's shoes] See: IN ONE'S SHOES.
[insomuch as] See: INASMUCH AS.
[in spite of] <prep. phr.> Against the influence or effect of; in opposition to; defying the effect of; despite. * /In spite of the bad storm John delivered his papers on time./ * /In spite of all their differences, Joan and Ann remain friends./
[instance] See: FOR EXAMPLE or FOR INSTANCE.
[in state] See: LIE IN STATE.
[instead of] or [in place of] also <formal> [in lieu of] <prep.> In the place of; in substitution for; in preference to; rather than. * /I wore mittens instead of gloves./ * /The grown-ups had coffee but the children wanted milk in place of coffee./ * /The boys went fishing instead of going to school./ * /The Vice-President talked at the meeting in place of the President, because the President was sick./ * /The magician appeared on the program in lieu of a singer./ Compare: IN PERSON.
[in step] <adv.> or <adj. phr.> 1. With the left or right foot stepping at the same time as another's or to the beat of music; in matching strides with another person or persons. * /The long line of soldiers marched all in step: Left, right! Left, right!/ * /Johnny marched behind the band in step to the music./ 2. In agreement; abreast. - Often followed by "with". * /Mary wanted to stay in step with her friends and have a doll too./ Contrast: OUT OF STEP.
[in stitches] <adj. phr.>, <informal> Laughing so hard that the sides ache; in a fit of laughing hard. * /The comedian was so funny that he had everyone who was watching him in stitches./
[in stock] <adj. phr.> Having something ready to sell dr use; in present possession or supply; to be sold. * /The store had no more red shoes in stock, so Mary chose brown ones instead./ Compare: IN STORE, ON HAND. Contrast: OUT OF STOCK.
[in store] <adj.> or <adv. phr.> 1. Saved up in case of need; ready for use or for some purpose. * /If the electricity goes off, we have candles in store in the closet./ * /The squirrel has plenty of nuts in store for the winter./ Compare: IN RESERVE, IN STOCK, ON HAND. 2. Ready to happen; waiting. - Often used in the phrase "hold in store" or "have in store". * /What does the future hold in store for the boy who ran away?/ * /There is a surprise in store for Helen when she gets home./
[in stride] See: TAKE IN STRIDE.
[in substance] <adv. phr.> In important facts; in the main or basic parts; basically; really. * /In substance the weather report said that it will be a nice day tomorrow./ * /The two cars are the same in substance, except one is red and the other is red and white./
[insult] See: ADD INSULT TO INJURY.
[intent] See: TO ALL INTENTS AND PURPOSES.
[in terms of] <prep.> 1. In the matter of; on the subject of; especially about; about. * /He spoke about books in terms of their publication./ * /What have you done in terms affixing the house?/ * /The children ate a great many hot dogs at the party. In terms of money, they ate $20 worth./ 2. As to the amount or number of. * /We swam a great distance. In terms of miles, it was three./
[in that] <conj.> For the reason that; because. * /I like the city, but I like the country better in that I have more friends in the country./
[in the air] <adv. phr.> 1. In everyone's thoughts. * /Christmas was in the air for weeks before./ * /The war filled people's thoughts every day; it was in the air./ Compare: IN THE WIND. 2. Meeting the bodily senses; surrounding you so as to be smelled or felt. * /Spring is in the air./ * /Rain is in the air./ 3. See: LEAVE HANGING, UP IN THE AIR.
[in the back] See: STAB IN THE BACK.
[in the bag] <adj. phr.>, <informal> Sure to be won or gotten; certain. * /Jones had the election in the bag after the shameful news about his opponent came out./ * /We thought we had the game in the bag./ Compare: SEWED UP.
[in the balance] See: HANG IN THE BALANCE.
[in the bargain] or [into the bargain] <adv. phr.> In addition; besides; also. * /Frank is a teacher, and an artist into the bargain./ * /The heat failed, and then the roof began to leak in the bargain./ Compare: TO BOOT, FOR GOOD MEASURE.
[in the black] <adv.> or <adj. phr.>, <informal> In a successful or profitable way; so as to make money. * /The big store was running in the black./ * /A business must stay in the black to keep on./ Contrast: IN THE RED.
[in the blood] See: RUN IN THE BLOOD or RUN IN THE FAMILY.
[in the bud] See: NIP IN THE BUD.
[in the can] <adj.>, <slang>, <movie jargon> Ready; finished; completed; about to be duplicated and distributed to exhibitors. * /No sneak previews until it's all in the can!/ * /Once my book's in the can, I'll go for a vacation./
[in the cards] also [on the cards] <adj. phr.>, <informal> To be expected; likely to happen; foreseeable; predictable. * /It was in the cards for the son to succeed his father as head of the business./ * /John finally decided that it wasn't in the cards for him to succeed with that company./
[in the charge of] See: IN CHARGE OF(2).
[in the chips] <slang> or <informal> [in the money] <adj. phr.> Having plenty of money; prosperous; rich. * /After his rich uncle died, Richard was in the chips./ * /After years of struggle and dependence, air transportation is in the money./ Compare: ON EASY STREET, WELL-TO-DO.
[in the circumstances] See: UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES.
[in the clear] <adj. phr.> 1. Free of anything that makes moving or seeing difficult; with nothing to limit action. * /The plane climbed above the clouds and was flying in the clear./ * /Jack passed the ball to Tim, who was in the clear and ran for a touchdown./ 2. <informal> Free of blame or suspicion; not thought to be guilty. * /After John told the principal that he broke the window, Martin was in the clear./ * /Steve was the last to leave the locker room, and the boys suspected him of stealing Tom's watch, but the coach found the watch and put Steve in the clear./ 3. Free of debt; not owing money to anyone. * /Bob borrowed a thousand dollars from his father to start his business, but at the end of the first year he was in the clear./ Syn.: IN THE BLACK.
[in the clouds] <adj. phr.> Far from real life; in dreams; in fancy; in thought. * /When Alice agreed to marry Jim, Jim went home in the clouds./ - Often used with "head", "mind", "thoughts". * /Mary is looking out the window, not at the chalkboard; her head is in the clouds again./ * /A good teacher should have his head in the clouds sometimes, but his feet always on the ground./ Contrast: COME BACK TO EARTH, FEET ON THE GROUND.
[in the clover] See: IN CLOVER.
[in the cold] See: OUT IN THE COLD.
[in the cold light of day] <adv. phr.> After sleeping on it; after giving it more thought; using common sense and looking at the matter unemotionally and realistically. * /Lost night my ideas seemed terrific, but in the cold light of day I realize that they won't work./
[in the dark] <adj. phr.> 1. In ignorance; without information. * /John was in the dark about the job he was being sent to./ * /If the government controls the news, it can keep people in the dark on any topic it chooses./ * /Mary had a letter from Sue yesterday, but she was left in the dark about Sue's plans to visit her./ Contrast: IN THE KNOW. See: WHISTLE IN THE DARK.
[in the doghouse] <adj. phr.>, <slang> In disgrace or disfavor. * /Our neighbor got in the doghouse with his wife by coming home drunk./ * /Jerry is in the doghouse because he dropped the ball, and the other team won because of that./ Compare: DOWN ON.
[in the door] See: FOOT IN THE DOOR.
[in the driver's seat] <adv. phr.> In control; having the power to make decisions. * /Stan is in the driver's seat now that he has been made our supervisor at the factory./
[in the dumps] See: DOWN IN THE DUMPS.
[in the event] See: IN CASE(1).
[in the event of] See: IN CASE OF.
[in the eye] See: LOOK IN THE EYE.
[in the face] See: BLUE IN THE FACE, LOOK IN THE EYE or LOOK IN THE FACE, SLAP IN THE FACE, STARE IN THE FACE.