Phrasal verb
come in for
Definition
phrasal verb. to receive something unpleasant, like criticism or blame, from other people.
phrasal verb. to be the object of or to receive something, typically negative reactions such as criticism, blame, or abuse.
Examples
“The government will come in for a lot of criticism.”
“The director has come in for some harsh words after the movie failed at the box office.”
“The CEO is likely to come in for intense scrutiny from the board of directors following the recent data breach.”
Examples
simple
“The government will come in for a lot of criticism.”
contextual
“The director has come in for some harsh words after the movie failed at the box office.”
complex
“The CEO is likely to come in for intense scrutiny from the board of directors following the recent data breach.”
Usage
almost always used with negative nouns like criticism, blame, scrutiny, or abuse.
Teaching tip
this is a three-part phrasal verb; help students remember it by associating it with 'receiving' a delivery of negative feedback.
Pitfall
The plan came in criticism.
The plan came in for criticism.
the full three-part verb 'come in for' is required to connect the subject to the thing being received.
Phrasal verb
Particles
in for
Separability
inseparable
Pattern
come + in + for + object
Synonyms
Antonyms
Grammar
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/come-in-for