Meaning & use
pitches in
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“pitches in” is a form of “pitch in”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
verbintransitiveinformal
Joins others in helping with work, money, or effort.
Grammar: No object; often followed by with: pitch in with the cooking. The subject is the person who helps.
Patterns
- pitch in with something
- pitch in to do something
- pitch in and help
Whenever we move furniture, my brother always pitches in.
She pitches in with the cleaning every Saturday morning.
Everyone pitched in to get the project finished on time.
verbintransitiveinformal
Starts eating eagerly or joins an activity with energy.
Grammar: No object; used especially in the phrase pitch in, meaning start eating when food is served.
Patterns
- pitch in
- pitch in and eat
Dinner is ready, so pitch in before it gets cold.
The kids pitched in as soon as the pizza arrived.
Word forms
| base form | pitch in |
|---|---|
| third person singular | pitches in |
| past tense | pitched in |
| past participle | pitched in |
| -ing form | pitching in |
Common combinations
- pitch in with
- Could you pitch in with the decorations?
- pitch in to help
- All the neighbors pitched in to help after the storm.
- everyone pitches in
- At our office, everyone pitches in when a deadline is near.
- pitch in and do something
- He pitched in and washed the car with us.
Synonyms and how they differ
- help out
- A little more neutral and often used when someone needs assistance; pitch in suggests joining a group effort with energy.
- contribute
- More formal and often about money or ideas; pitch in is informal and usually about practical work.
Opposites
Word family
- pitch in phrasal verb
- The base form of the same phrasal verb.
Commonly confused: pitches in or pitch?
pitches in vs pitch
As a verb, pitch can mean throw, set up a tent, or make a sales speech; the phrasal verb pitch in is a separate, informal expression about helping.
Practice
Which sentence uses pitches in correctly?
Choose one answer.
Pitches in (with) means joins others in helping, so 'pitches in with the cooking' fits. The other options use pitch as a literal verb (throw, set up, present) and do not form the phrasal verb.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “pitches in”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.