Meaning & use
come into view
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Meanings
phraseintransitive
To become visible or able to be seen, especially after being hidden or far away.
Grammar: No object; the thing that appears is the subject: the coast came into view.
Patterns
- something comes into view
- come into view from somewhere
After an hour of walking, the lake finally came into view.
The mountains came into view as the clouds lifted.
A small boat came into view around the headland.
phraseintransitivefigurative
To begin to be noticed, understood, or considered.
Grammar: Used about ideas or facts that gradually become clear; no object.
Patterns
- something comes into view
- come into view as something
As more evidence arrived, a different explanation came into view.
The real problem came into view only after the meeting.
New possibilities came into view once the budget changed.
Common combinations
- come slowly into view
- The island came slowly into view through the mist.
- come into view on the horizon
- A line of ships came into view on the horizon.
- come into view around the corner
- The station came into view around the corner.
- suddenly come into view
- A deer suddenly came into view between the trees.
- the coast comes into view
- The coast comes into view about an hour before we land.
Synonyms and how they differ
- appear
- A simpler, more general word; 'come into view' stresses the process of moving gradually into sight.
- emerge
- Similar but more formal and often used for things coming out of darkness, water, or fog.
- show up
- Informal and often about people arriving; it does not fit scenery or ships.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: come into view or come into sight?
come into view vs come into sight
This means almost the same and is often interchangeable, but 'come into sight' is a little more literary and less common in speech.
Practice
Choose the sentence that uses 'come into view' correctly.
Choose one answer.
'Come into view' takes no object, so the thing that appears must be the subject: 'The mountain came into view.' The other options either add an object or use a passive form, which this phrase does not allow.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “come into view”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.