Give in means to stop resisting and agree to something you argued against for a long time. Give in to temptation means to do something you were trying not to do. In British English, give in can also mean to hand in written work: give in your homework.
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give in; give in to + person/pressure/demands; give in to temptation; give in + homework/essay (UK)
- My daughter asked for a puppy every day, and after a month I finally gave in.
- I was trying to eat less sugar, but I gave in to temptation and ordered a slice of cake.
- Please give in your essays on Friday so I can mark them over the weekend.
What changed
First versionThe company refused to give up to pressure from its customers.
RevisionThe company refused to give in to pressure from its customers.
Both give up and give in can be explained as 'stop fighting', so learners often write give up to pressure. But English doesn't say that: to yield to someone or something is give in to. So up was changed to in.
Give up means to stop doing something of your own or to stop trying: I gave up smoking. Give in means to stop resisting someone or something outside you: I didn't want to lend him my car, but I gave in. If there is someone's request or pressure, you almost always need give in.
Your turn
After weeks of strikes, the government finally ___ to the workers' demands and raised salaries.
Show the answer
gave in — The government yielded to the workers' demands, and the gap is followed by to, so gave in. Gave up to isn't used, and gave up without to would mean the government stopped doing something of its own.
Think of a time when you gave in to someone's request. Write who was persuading you and what you finally agreed to.
My younger brother begged to borrow my laptop for his trip, and I finally gave in and let him take it.
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