Meaning & use
dives into
Last updated
“dives into” is a form of “dive into”.
Meanings
verbtransitive
Starts doing something with energy and enthusiasm, especially after a short pause.
Grammar: The object comes after 'into': dive into a project. In British English you can also say 'dive in' with no object.
Patterns
- dive into something
- dive straight into something
She dives into her homework the moment she gets home.
After the meeting he dives into a long list of emails.
verbtransitive
Goes head-first into water, or moves quickly downward into something.
Grammar: Used literally about water or a hole; the subject is a person or animal that moves downward.
Patterns
- dive into water
- dive into a pool
The seal dives into the icy water and disappears.
He dives into the pool without checking how deep it is.
verbtransitive
Starts to examine or discuss a subject in serious detail.
Grammar: Often used about books, reports and lessons: the writer or speaker goes deep into a topic.
Patterns
- dive into a subject
- dive into the details
The final chapter dives into the causes of the war.
Our podcast dives into the science behind everyday habits.
Word forms
| base form | dive into |
|---|---|
| third person singular | dives into |
| past tense | dived into |
| past participle | dived into |
| -ing form | diving into |
Common combinations
- dive straight into something
- Let's dive straight into the first question.
- dive headfirst into something
- She dived headfirst into student politics.
- dive into the details
- The report dives into the details of the new tax.
- dive into a book
- On rainy days he dives into a book and forgets the time.
- dive into the deep end
- They threw him into the job and he dived into the deep end.
Synonyms and how they differ
- plunge into
- Stronger and more dramatic; it suggests a sudden, forceful start, while 'dive into' can sound simply eager.
- throw yourself into
- Focuses on personal effort and emotion; 'dive into' is a little lighter and more casual.
- tackle
- Means to deal with a task directly, but it does not carry the image of jumping in with enthusiasm.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: dives into or dive in?
dives into vs dive in
'Dive in' needs no object and means 'start' in general; 'dive into' must be followed by the thing you start: dive into the work.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'dives into' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Dive into' needs a noun object straight after 'into', so 'dives into the new project' is correct. Option 2 has no object, option 3 puts the adverb in an impossible place, and option 4 leaves 'into' without an object.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “dives into”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.