Meaning & use
inserts
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“inserts” is a form of “insert”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
verbtransitive
Puts something inside or between other things, often carefully so that it fits.
Grammar: Takes an object, often followed by into or between: she inserts the key into the lock.
Patterns
- someone inserts something into something
- someone inserts something between things
She inserts the card into the machine and waits for the receipt.
He inserts a comment in the margin of every page.
The nurse inserts a small tube into the vein.
nounplural
Extra items placed inside something else, such as loose pages in a newspaper or a pad inside a shoe.
Grammar: Plural of the countable noun insert: the newspaper has two inserts.
Patterns
- inserts in something
The Sunday paper comes with several advertising inserts.
These shoe inserts give extra support to your heels.
The box held three printed inserts explaining the rules.
Word forms
| base form | insert |
|---|---|
| past tense | inserted |
| past participle | inserted |
| -ing form | inserting |
Common combinations
- inserts a coin
- He inserts a coin and pulls the lever.
- inserts a clause
- The lawyer inserts a clause into the contract.
- shoe inserts
- Shoe inserts make walking long distances easier.
- newspaper inserts
- Newspaper inserts often contain discount coupons.
- inserts into
- She inserts the paper into the folder.
Synonyms and how they differ
- puts in
- Puts in is a common phrasal verb that is less precise than inserts, which suggests placing something into a gap or slot.
- adds
- Adds means joining something to the whole and does not require putting it inside.
- inlays
- Inlays means setting a decorative piece into a surface and is more specialized than inserts.
- enclosures
- Enclosures are extra items sent in an envelope, a narrower sense than the noun inserts.
Opposites
Word family
- insert verb
- to put something inside
- insertion noun
- the act of putting something in
- inserted adjective
- placed inside something
- reinsert verb
- to put something in again
Commonly confused: inserts or inset?
inserts vs inset
An inset is a small picture or map placed inside a larger one, while an insert is any item put inside another thing.
Practice
Every morning, the machine operator ____ a blank sheet into the printer.
Choose one answer.
The subject the machine operator is singular, so the verb takes -s: inserts. Insert would suit a plural subject, and the others are not finite verbs.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “inserts”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.