Meaning & use
tie into
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Meanings
verbtransitive
To connect something with something else so that the two work together or fit logically.
Grammar: Takes an object and is usually split: tie the new schedule into the existing plan.
Patterns
- tie something into something
- tie into something
We tied the training program into the company's annual goals.
The new software ties into the accounting system automatically.
Her research ties into earlier work on memory and sleep.
verbintransitive
To be connected with or form a natural part of a larger subject or system.
Grammar: No object; often followed by with or into: the topic ties in with our earlier discussion.
Patterns
- tie into something
- tie in with something
This chapter ties into the themes we covered last week.
The festival ties into the town's long history of music.
Word forms
| third person singular | ties into |
|---|---|
| past tense | tied into |
| past participle | tied into |
| -ing form | tying into |
Common combinations
- tie something into a plan
- They tied the budget cuts into a wider plan for the department.
- tie into the system
- The app ties into the system used by the hospital.
- tie in with something
- His comments tie in with what the report already says.
- closely tied into
- Wages are closely tied into the cost of living.
Synonyms and how they differ
- link
- A more general verb for joining two things; tie into suggests the parts fit together as one working whole.
- integrate
- More formal and stresses making things into a single unit, while tie into stresses the connection between them.
- connect
- The plainest choice; tie into is more specific and common in business or academic contexts.
Opposites
Word family
- tie-in noun
- A product or event connected with a film, book, or brand for promotion.
- tie verb
- To fasten things together with string or rope, or to make a connection.
Commonly confused: tie into or tie in with? tie into or tie up?
tie into vs tie in with
This means to match or be consistent with something; tie into stresses joining something to a larger system or plan.
tie into vs tie up
Means to fasten something, to block something, or to keep someone busy, not to connect two things.
Practice
The new booking system ______ the airline's existing database, so staff see one list.
Choose one answer.
'Ties into' means connects with and works as part of a larger system. 'Ties up' means fastens or blocks something, and 'ties on' and 'ties off' are not used this way.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “tie into”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.