tune in

verb

tuned in; tuning in; tunes in

transitive verb

: to listen to or view a broadcast of

tuned in the weather report

intransitive verb

1

: to listen to or view a broadcast

We tuned in to hear the election results.

2

: to understand and be aware of a situation

He was not tuned in to the needs of his staff.

Examples of tune in in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

At first, the Japanese public responded by tuning in daily, but as the week went by, interest dwindled. — Robert Pearlman, ArsTechnica, 2 Sep. 2026

Not just with viewers, who have tuned in and out since the first broadcast in 1953. — ABC News, 1 Sep. 2026

On November 14, 1973, that’s reportedly how many viewers tuned in to watch Princess Anne marry Captain Mark Phillips. — Amanda Le, InStyle, 29 Aug. 2026

Play continues at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, GA, tune in the second round to see how the action plays out. — Data Skrive, New York Times, 28 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1913, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Kids Definition

tune in

verb

1

: to listen to or view a broadcast

tune in next week for the conclusion

2

: to pay attention to what is happening or to one's surroundings