join the fold

Meanings

1. 1phraseidiom

   to become a member of a group, team, or organization that you did not belong to before.

   Grammar: Used as a whole phrase with no object: you join the fold, you do not 'join someone the fold'.

   Patterns

   • join the fold
   • welcome someone into the fold
   • come back to the fold

   After years of arguing against the plan, she finally joined the fold and voted with the rest of the committee.

   The club has a friendly welcome for anyone who wants to join the fold.

   Several small newspapers joined the fold after the merger.

2. 2phraseidiomfigurative

   to become part of a family, religious group, or other close community.

   Grammar: Often used for families or faith communities; the image is of sheep coming into a pen.

   Patterns

   • join the fold
   • be back in the fold

   When he married Anna, he happily joined the fold of a large, noisy family.

   The story ends with the lost son joining the fold again.

Common combinations

welcome someone into the fold

The team welcomed the new coach into the fold with a dinner.

return to the fold

After a year abroad, she returned to the fold of the family business.

join the fold of something

He joined the fold of volunteers at the local shelter.

part of the fold

Once you are part of the fold, the other members look after you.

Synonyms and how they differ

join

Much more general and neutral; 'join the fold' adds the idea of being welcomed into a close group.

sign up

Used for official membership or registration, not for families or communities.

enlist

Usually means joining the army or actively getting support, so it is narrower than this idiom.

Opposites

Word family

fold noun

A group of sheep, or figuratively a group of believers or members.

Commonly confused: join the fold or join the club?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “join the fold”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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