pencil in

phrasal verb

penciled in or pencilled in; penciling in or pencilling in; pencils in
: to put (someone or something that may be changed later) on a schedule, list, etc.
Would you like me to pencil you in for Thursday morning at 11?
sometimes used figuratively
He was penciled in as the director's replacement.

Examples of pencil in in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
If not, now's your chance to grab a calendar and pencil in some time to reconnect as a couple, plan a girls or guys trip, or just escape for a bit from the daily grind of child-rearing and work responsibilities. Beth Luberecki, USA Today, 3 Feb. 2026 Tellingly, JPMorgan isn’t penciling in any new rate cuts. Matt Egan, CNN Money, 2 Feb. 2026 With that in mind, if Kansas City pencils in the 28-year-old as its right tackle, a short-term extension could help spread that cap number over the next few seasons. Pete Sweeney, Kansas City Star, 1 Feb. 2026 Her lips shine, too, with an ombré look in tawny brown hues, an effect created by makeup artist Bella Mayven with Charlotte Tilbury's Lip Cheat pencil in Foxy Brown and Big Lip Plumpgasm gloss in Nudegasm Diamonds. Marci Robin, Allure, 12 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for pencil in

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Pencil in.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pencil%20in. Accessed 5 Feb. 2026.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster