English Reference
Idiom idiom

chip in


To make a contribution; help in a small way; especially, to pay for a part of something.

Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.


SIMPLE

We can all chip in to buy a gift.

CONTEXTUAL

If everyone chips in five dollars, we can afford to order pizza for the whole office.

COMPLEX

The neighbors decided to chip in for the community garden project, hoping their collective effort would transform the neglected lot into a vibrant space.


Related idioms8entries
  1. 01

    cash in one's chips

    To discontinue an activity, accepting whatever gains or losses one has incurred; to give up.

  2. 02

    chip away

    To reduce or weaken bit by bit; often used with at.

  3. 03

    chip off the old block

    Someone who takes after one of their parents; (generally) a person similar to another.

  4. 04

    chip on one's shoulder

    A habitually combative attitude, usually because of a harbored grievance, a sense of inferiority, or a desire to prove something.

  5. 05

    chip shot

    Something that is easy to do or to achieve.

  6. 06

    chip up

    To cause something to have chips, cracks or dents.

  7. 07

    have had one's chips

    To be dead or finished.

  8. 08

    let the chips fall where they may

    To allow events to unfold naturally; to accept what occurs without prejudice, worry, or regret.

Last updated August 10, 2026