to

1 of 3

preposition

tə,

tu̇,

ˈtü 

1

a

—used as a function word to indicate movement or an action or condition suggestive of movement toward a place, person, or thing reached

drove to the city

went back to the original idea

went to lunch

b

—used as a function word to indicate direction

a mile to the south

turned his back to the door

a tendency to silliness

c

—used as a function word to indicate contact or proximity

applied polish to the table

put her hand to her heart

d(1)

—used as a function word to indicate the place or point that is the far limit

100 miles to the nearest town

(2)

—used as a function word to indicate the limit of extent

stripped to the waist

e

—used as a function word to indicate relative position

perpendicular to the floor

2

a

—used as a function word to indicate purpose, intention, tendency, result, or end

came to our aid

drink to his health

b

—used as a function word to indicate the result of an action or a process

broken all to pieces

go to seed

to their surprise, the train left on time

3

—used as a function word to indicate position or relation in time: such as

a

: before

five minutes to five

b

: until sense 2

from eight to five

up to now

4

—used as a function word to indicate addition, attachment, connection, belonging, possession, accompaniment, or response

the key to the door

danced to live music

comes to her call

5

—used as a function word (1) to indicate the extent or degree (as of completeness or accuracy)

loyal to a man

generous to a fault

or the extent and result (as of an action or a condition)

beaten to death

(2) to indicate the last or an intermediate point of a series

moderate to cool temperatures

6

a

—used as a function word (1) to indicate a relation to one that serves as a standard

inferior to her earlier works

(2) to indicate similarity, correspondence, dissimilarity, or proportion

compared him to a god

b

—used as a function word to indicate agreement or conformity

add salt to taste

to my knowledge

c

—used as a function word to indicate a proportion in terms of numbers or quantities

400 to the box

odds of ten to one

7

a

—used as a function word (1) to indicate the application of an adjective or a noun

agreeable to everyone

attitude to friends

title to the property

(2) to indicate the relation of a verb to its complement or to a complementary element

refers to the traditions

(3) to indicate the receiver of an action or the one for which something is done or exists

gives a dollar to the man

and often used with a reflexive pronoun to indicate exclusiveness (as of possession) or separateness

had the house to themselves

b

—used as a function word to indicate agency

falls to his opponent's blows

8

—used as a function word to indicate that the following verb is an infinitive

wants to go

and often used by itself at the end of a clause in place of an infinitive suggested by the preceding context

knows more than she seems to

to

2 of 3

adverb

ˈtü 

1

a

—used as a function word to indicate direction toward

run to and fro

b

: close to the wind

the gale having gone over, we came to

—R. H. Dana

2

: to a state of consciousness or awareness

brings her to with smelling salts

3

a

: into contact especially with the frame

—used of a door or a window

the door snapped to

b

—used as a function word to indicate physical application or attachment

he … hath set to his seal

—John 3:33 (King James Version)

4

—used as a function word to indicate application or attention

will stand to

—William Shakespeare

5

: at hand : by

get to see 'em close to

—Richard Llewellyn

TO

3 of 3

abbreviation

1

table of organization

2

traditional orthography

3

turnover

Synonyms

Preposition

• afore [chiefly dialect]
• ahead of
• before
• ere
• fore [chiefly dialect]
• 'fore
• of
• previous to
• prior to

Examples of to in a Sentence

Preposition

right now it's 25 minutes to 10:00

Adverb

The wind blew the door to.

Recent Examples on the Web

Preposition

Such distancing is troubling to gun control groups that believe manufacturers, designers and users all share accountability for gun violence. —Nick Penzenstadler, USA TODAY, 20 Dec. 2024

Although an experienced bowhunter with at least one Pope & Young buck to his credit, this is Bruce’s biggest buck to date. —Bob McNally, Outdoor Life, 20 Dec. 2024

Adverb

It’s split into a downward opening lower quarter and to-hinged ¾ panel. —Mark Phelan, Detroit Free Press, 4 Oct. 2024

When interest rates rose last year, so did the price tag, to well over $5 billion, in part because of borrowing costs. —Jon Chesto, BostonGlobe.com, 25 June 2023

Word History

Etymology

Preposition

Middle English, from Old English tō; akin to Old High German zuo to, Latin donec as long as, until

First Known Use

Preposition

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adverb

12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 4

Kids Definition

to

1 of 2 preposition

tə 

tu̇,

(ˈ)tü

1

a

—used to indicate movement or something suggesting movement toward a place, person, or thing reached

walked to school

send data to disk storage

went back to my first idea

b

—used to indicate direction

a mile to the south

your back to the window

c

—used to indicate contact

apply polish to the table

d

—used to indicate a limit

the water was up to my waist

2

—used to indicate purpose, result, or end

came to our aid

broke to pieces

sentenced to death

3

a

: before entry 2 sense 3

at quarter to five

b

: until entry 1

from nine to five

4

—used to indicate belonging, accompanying, or responding

the key to the lock

dance to live music

not much you could say to that

5

a

—used to indicate a relation of likeness or unlikeness

similar to mine

b

—used to indicate agreement

salt to taste

c

—used to indicate a proportion in terms of number or amount

packed 10 to the box

6

a

—used to indicate the relation of adjective to noun

agreeable to all of us

or verb to complement

sticks to business

b

—used to indicate one that receives an action

spoke to the teacher

give it to me

7

: for no one but

had the house to ourselves

8

—used to mark an infinitive

likes to swim

and often used by itself in place of an infinitive

I didn't mean to

to

2 of 2 adverb

ˈtü 

1

: in the direction toward

run to and fro

2

: into contact especially with a frame

snapped her purse to

wind blew the door to

3

: to a state of consciousness or awareness

brings him to with smelling salts