# butt in

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/butt-in
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To join a conversation or situation in which one is not welcome or invited; to interject (connotes a rude or discourteous interruption).

## Examples

- Please don't butt in while I'm talking.
- He always tries to butt in when other people are having a private conversation.
- The meeting had been tense and formal until a junior manager, unable to restrain himself, butted in with a question that changed everything.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.