eat into

slowly use up something valuable (savings, time, profits)

B2

What does "eat into sth" mean?

To eat into something means to gradually reduce a resource — such as money, time, or profit — in a way that is unwanted and often hard to stop. The reduction happens bit by bit, like something being slowly worn away. The subject is almost always a force or circumstance, such as inflation, rising costs, unexpected expenses, or delays, rather than a person making a deliberate choice. One important feature of this phrasal verb is that the resource is only partially reduced — it implies erosion, not total exhaustion. The metaphor behind it comes from the idea of acid or rust eating into metal, slowly destroying it over time.

Examples

How to use it

force/expense + eat into + resource

The most common pattern: an abstract cause such as costs, inflation, or delays acts as the subject, and the resource being reduced follows 'into'.

Rising inflation is eating into household budgets across the country.

eat into + savings/profits/time/budget

The object of 'into' is typically a concrete resource noun; these are the most natural collocates.

The unexpected delay ate into our project budget significantly.

person + eat into + resource (deliberate spending)

When a person is the subject, it usually implies a conscious decision to spend from a limited resource, often reluctantly.

We had to eat into our emergency fund to cover the repairs.

eat into + the lead / market share (competitive contexts)

In sports or business contexts, 'eat into' can describe gradually closing a gap or reducing a rival's advantage.

The new competitor has been eating into the brand's market share over the past year.

Common Collocations

savingsprofitsbudgettimemarket sharemargins

Common Mistakes

Trying to separate the verb

'Eat into' is inseparable, so the object must always come after 'into'. Placing the object between 'eat' and 'into' is incorrect.

✗ The fees are eating our savings into.
✓ The fees are eating into our savings.
Confusing 'eat into' with 'eat up'

'Eat up' suggests complete or heavy consumption, while 'eat into' describes a partial, gradual reduction — the resource is still there, just smaller. Use 'eat into' when something is being slowly eroded, not fully consumed.

✗ The medical bills completely ate into all our savings — we have nothing left.
✓ The medical bills ate up all our savings — we have nothing left. / The medical bills have been eating into our savings for months.
Using a pronoun as the object

Because the object of 'eat into' is always a specific resource noun, replacing it with a pronoun like 'it' sounds unnatural and confusing. It's better to repeat the noun or rephrase the sentence.

✗ Our savings are shrinking because the fees are eating into it.
✓ Our savings are shrinking because the fees are eating into them. / The fees are eating into our savings.

Usage

This phrasal verb is neutral and works in both everyday and business English. It almost always describes an unwanted, gradual reduction caused by costs, inflation, or unexpected problems — the subject is usually a force or expense, not a person making a choice.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can 'eat into' be used in the passive, like 'our profits were eaten into'?

No — 'eat into' does not work in the passive. Because 'into' is a preposition, its object cannot become the subject of a passive sentence. You should always use the active form, such as 'Rising costs ate into our profits'.

Does 'eat into' always mean something negative?

Almost always, yes. The phrasal verb is strongly associated with unwanted or damaging reduction — the kind caused by inflation, unexpected costs, or delays. It would sound very unusual to use it in a positive context.

What kinds of things can 'eat into' something? Can a person be the subject?

The subject is most naturally an abstract force or expense — things like inflation, high fees, taxes, or unexpected delays. A person can be the subject, but it usually implies they are consciously spending from a limited resource, often reluctantly, as in 'We had to eat into our savings'. A force as subject is more typical.

Is 'eat into' more common in business English or everyday English?

It's common in both. You'll see it frequently in financial journalism and business reports — for example, talking about costs eating into profit margins — but it's equally natural in everyday conversation about personal finances or time management.

Can I use the present perfect continuous — 'has been eating into'?

It's possible, but slightly awkward. The present continuous ('is eating into') and present perfect ('has eaten into') are much more natural for showing ongoing or recently completed erosion. If you want to show duration, 'has been eating into' can work, but it's not the most common choice.

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