Meaning & use
tucking into bed
Last updated
Meaning
phrasefixed phrase
the act of putting someone, especially a child, comfortably into bed and covering them with blankets
Grammar: Used as a noun phrase after 'after' or 'before': after tucking into bed, she read a story. The full verb is 'tuck someone into bed'.
Patterns
- tuck someone into bed
- after tucking someone into bed
After tucking the children into bed, she turned off the light.
He remembers his father tucking him into bed every night.
Tucking into bed early helps you sleep better.
Common combinations
- tuck someone into bed
- I'll tuck you into bed and read you a story.
- tucking the kids into bed
- She was tucking the kids into bed when the phone rang.
- after tucking him into bed
- After tucking him into bed, she quietly closed the door.
Synonyms and how they differ
- putting to bed
- More neutral and general; it does not suggest the same gentle, caring action of covering someone up.
Word family
- tuck verb
- To push a loose edge of cloth or paper into a narrow space, or to make someone comfortable in bed.
- tuck-in noun
- British informal: a large, enjoyable meal.
Commonly confused: tucking into bed or tucking into?
tucking into bed vs tucking into
Be careful: 'tuck into' without 'bed' usually means to start eating eagerly, as in 'They tucked into the cake.'
Practice
Choose the correct sentence.
Choose one answer.
'Tuck someone into bed' is the fixed phrase with 'into'. The other prepositions do not fit this expression.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “tucking into bed”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.