tune in

verb

tuned in; tuning in; tunes in

transitive verb

: to listen to or view a broadcast of
tuned in the weather report

intransitive verb

1
: to listen to or view a broadcast
We tuned in to hear the election results.
2
: to understand and be aware of a situation
He was not tuned in to the needs of his staff.

Examples of tune in in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Eight days later, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth gleefully invited the nation to tune in, via live stream, for the death by firing squad of Nidal Hasan, scheduled for December 3rd. — Amy Davidson Sorkin, New Yorker, 16 Oct. 2026 Fans tuning in to an NFL game will typically see at least one team, often the visiting team, wearing white. — Chantz Martin Outkick, FOXNews.com, 15 Oct. 2026 Fans who can’t make it to the Kia Forum will be able to tune in through iHeartRadio’s alternative and rock stations nationwide, as well as the iHeartRadio app. — Alicia Urrea, Billboard, 13 Oct. 2026 On Monday morning, the world's econ nerds tuned in to an announcement from Sweden to learn who won this year's Nobel Prize in economics. — Greg Rosalsky, NPR, 13 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for tune in

Word History

First Known Use

1913, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of tune in was in 1913

Browse Nearby Words

tunefulness
tune in
tuneless
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Tune in.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tune%20in. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

tune in

verb
1
: to listen to or view a broadcast
tune in next week for the conclusion
2
: to pay attention to what is happening or to one's surroundings
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