in contact with
in contact with — idiom
1. talking to or writing to someone fairly often, so that each of you knows what th
talking to or writing to someone fairly often, so that each of you knows what the other is doing.
Eitan has stayed in contact with his old roommate since they left college.
stay in contact with + person
The nurses keep parents in contact with their children during long hospital stays.
keep + person + in contact with
Are you still in contact with anyone from your old football team?
question form: still in contact with
Joaquín got back in contact with his cousin after finding her phone number.
get back in contact with someone
Our two offices stay in contact with each other by email every morning.
- stay in contact with
- keep in contact with
- get back in contact with
- in touch with
more informal, same meaning
- in communication with
more formal, often used in writing
- out of contact with
no longer communicating
Grammar Patterns
be/stay in contact with + person
Usage Note
Subject is usually a person or a group that communicates; the object after 'with' names the other party. Distinguish from sense 2, which is about physical touching rather than communication.
Common Mistakes
2. touching another surface, or so close to it that the two almost meet.
touching another surface, or so close to it that the two almost meet.
If the wire comes in contact with water, the whole machine may stop working.
come in contact with + thing
Charlotte warned the children to keep their skin from coming in contact with the hot pan.
come in contact with + thing
The plane's wheels were finally in contact with the runway after a bumpy landing.
be in contact with a surface
Doctors washed the wound that had been in contact with dirty river water.
Keep the paint away from anything that could bring it in contact with a flame.
bring + thing + in contact with
- come in contact with
- bring in contact with
- touching
plainer, for direct surface contact
- up against
informal, for one thing pressed on another
- apart from
not touching, kept at a distance
Grammar Patterns
be/come in contact with + thing
Usage Note
Object after 'with' is usually a physical surface, substance, or object. Often pairs with the verb 'come' to describe two things meeting. Distinguish from sense 1, which is about communicating with people.
Common Mistakes
Etymology
The phrase joins 'contact', which came through Latin 'contactus' meaning a touching, with the everyday preposition 'in'. The literal touching sense came first, and English speakers later widened it to mean staying close through messages and conversation.