1
a
: to move toward something : approach
Come here.
b
: to move or journey to a vicinity with a specified purpose
Come see us.
Come and see what's going on.
c(1)
: to reach a particular station in a series
Now we come to the section on health.
(2)
: to arrive in due course
The time has come to make your decision.
Has the mail come yet?
d(1)
: to approach in kind or quality
This comes near perfection.
(2)
: to reach a condition or conclusion
came to regard them as friends
Come to think of it, you may be right.
The screw came loose.
e(1)
: to advance toward accomplishment : come along
The job is coming nicely.
(2)
: to advance in a particular manner
Come running when I call.
(3)
: to advance, rise, or improve in rank or condition
has come a long way
f
: extend
The dress comes to the ankles.
2
a(1)
: to arrive at a particular place, end, result, or conclusion
came to his senses
come untied
He came to regret his choice.
(2)
: amount
The taxes on it come to more than it's worth.
b(1)
: to appear to the mind
The answer came to them.
(2)
: to appear on a scene : make an appearance
Children come equipped to learn any language.
e
: to enter or assume a condition, position, or relation
The artillery came into action.
f
: to fall within a field of view or a range of application
This comes within the terms of the treaty.
g
: to issue forth
A sob came from my throat.
h
: to take form
Churn till the butter comes.
i
: to be available
This model comes in several sizes.
as good as they come
j
3
: to fall to a person in a division or inheritance of property
Several thousand dollars came to them from their grandparents.
4
obsolete
: to become moved favorably : relent
5
: to turn out to be
Good clothes don't come cheap.
6
: become
a dream that came true
1
: to approach or be near (an age)
a child coming eight years old
2
: to take on the aspect of
come the stern parent
see also come a cropper, come across, come again, come clean, come into, come into one's own, come of age, come off it, come over, come to, come to grief, come to grips with, come to oneself, come to pass, come to terms, come upon, to come
Examples of come in a Sentence
Verb
Please come here for a minute. I want to show you something.
She came quietly into the room.
He came home late again last night.
The dog began to growl as we came closer.
The captain of the ship invited us to come aboard.
People come from all over the country to see him.
Some people came by car while others came by plane.
Why don't you come and stay with us for a while?
About a hundred people are coming to the wedding.
People come many miles to visit the shrine.
Recent Examples on the Web
Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 15 Feb. 2026
And the worst might be yet to come.
—Arkansas Online, 15 Feb. 2026
Late in the first period, Swayman gave up a goal from 95 feet out that could get talked about for years to come.
—Sportsday Staff, Dallas Morning News, 14 Feb. 2026
More mom-daughter tutorials from Ariana Grande and Joan Grande, this way comes.
—Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 14 Feb. 2026
The new contract maintains benefits for nurses and comes with salary raises, about 4% each year, equating to an approximately 12% jump.
—John Dias, CBS News, 14 Feb. 2026
The first big break in the case came Tuesday, when the FBI released surveillance videos of someone approaching Guthrie’s door wearing a holstered gun, ski mask and backpack.
—Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 14 Feb. 2026
From a group of officers standing about 30 yards away, on the other side of a Dumpster, came a tear gas canister, which one of the group tried to kick away.
—Natasha Korecki, NBC news, 14 Feb. 2026
Inspired by ’70s assembly lines and workshops, the duo-floor space offers personalized service to the brand’s range of smartphones and audio products, and comes with studio space for social media content creators.
—Tianwei Zhang, Footwear News, 14 Feb. 2026
Jakob Rodgers, Mercury News, 8 Feb. 2026
Fergus, the puppet, promises to make Sam a big star but his dream-come-true quickly turns into a nightmare.
—Rebecca Angel Baer, Southern Living, 7 Feb. 2026
Three separate stays will be available to two guests at a time, and booking will be on a first come, first serve basis—completely free of charge.
—Rachel Wallace, Architectural Digest, 6 Feb. 2026
The come-downs were ridiculous.
—Tom Burrows, New York Times, 30 Jan. 2026
The guard — who scored a career-high 55 points in the game — drilled eight triples over the final two frames, including five in a 26-point final frame that nearly sparked yet another remarkable come-from-behind victory.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 18 Jan. 2026
These are schools to which families must apply, and entrance is granted on a first come, first served basis.
—Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 17 Jan. 2026
Shanti has had an incredible come-up from the moment the show first introduces her until the finale.
—Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 15 Jan. 2026
For years, asking for shelter in the city of San Diego has often been a first-come, first-serve process.
—Blake Nelson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Jan. 2026
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Verb
Now, the race is underway to shape what comes next.
—Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 15 Feb. 2026
And the worst might be yet to come.
—Arkansas Online, 15 Feb. 2026
Late in the first period, Swayman gave up a goal from 95 feet out that could get talked about for years to come.
—Sportsday Staff, Dallas Morning News, 14 Feb. 2026
More mom-daughter tutorials from Ariana Grande and Joan Grande, this way comes.
—Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 14 Feb. 2026
The new contract maintains benefits for nurses and comes with salary raises, about 4% each year, equating to an approximately 12% jump.
—John Dias, CBS News, 14 Feb. 2026
The first big break in the case came Tuesday, when the FBI released surveillance videos of someone approaching Guthrie’s door wearing a holstered gun, ski mask and backpack.
—Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 14 Feb. 2026
From a group of officers standing about 30 yards away, on the other side of a Dumpster, came a tear gas canister, which one of the group tried to kick away.
—Natasha Korecki, NBC news, 14 Feb. 2026
Inspired by ’70s assembly lines and workshops, the duo-floor space offers personalized service to the brand’s range of smartphones and audio products, and comes with studio space for social media content creators.
—Tianwei Zhang, Footwear News, 14 Feb. 2026
Noun
Back then, his former team, the Atlanta Falcons, let a 28-3 lead slip to Tom Brady and the Patriots in the largest come-from-behind victory in Super Bowl history.
—Jakob Rodgers, Mercury News, 8 Feb. 2026
Fergus, the puppet, promises to make Sam a big star but his dream-come-true quickly turns into a nightmare.
—Rebecca Angel Baer, Southern Living, 7 Feb. 2026
Three separate stays will be available to two guests at a time, and booking will be on a first come, first serve basis—completely free of charge.
—Rachel Wallace, Architectural Digest, 6 Feb. 2026
The come-downs were ridiculous.
—Tom Burrows, New York Times, 30 Jan. 2026
The guard — who scored a career-high 55 points in the game — drilled eight triples over the final two frames, including five in a 26-point final frame that nearly sparked yet another remarkable come-from-behind victory.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 18 Jan. 2026
These are schools to which families must apply, and entrance is granted on a first come, first served basis.
—Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 17 Jan. 2026
Shanti has had an incredible come-up from the moment the show first introduces her until the finale.
—Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 15 Jan. 2026
For years, asking for shelter in the city of San Diego has often been a first-come, first-serve process.
—Blake Nelson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Come.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/come. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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