ENGLISH
REFERENCE

eat into

phr. v..
B2 Upper Intermediate Oxford

phr. v.. to use up a large part of something valuable, like your time or money, so that there is less left for other things.

phr. v.. to consume or diminish a portion of a resource, typically time, savings, or profits, in a way that is perceived as detrimental or intrusive.


SIMPLE

Unexpected car repairs really eat into my monthly budget.

CONTEXTUAL

The long commute to the city eats into her free time, leaving her exhausted by the weekend.

COMPLEX

Rising inflation and increased operational costs have begun to eat into the company's profit margins, forcing a reassessment of their expansion strategy.

Particles
into
Separability
inseparable
Pattern
eat + into + object
Usage

always followed by an object representing the resource being consumed.

Teaching tip

contrast with 'consume' or 'use up'; 'eat into' implies a gradual, unwelcome erosion of a larger whole.

Pitfall

The bills eat into of my savings.The bills eat into my savings.the preposition 'into' is followed directly by the object without adding 'of'.

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