come in from the cold
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
Gain acceptance.
Where it’s used:
Used
Widespread English
Examples
The material, long hidden in KGB files or in the memories of intelligence operatives, is up for grabs as ageing ex - KGB agents come in from the cold to trade in their undercover pasts for over - the - counter assets.
But 20 years have at least seen her interests come in from the cold.
British National Corpus sentence via the MAGPIE corpus (CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)
Sources & notes
Listed in Wiktionary’s “English idioms” category (retrieved 2026-07-29); definition pending editorial review. Figurative class: Metaphor (PIE-English corpus, CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-31).
Common questions
What does “come in from the cold” mean?
Gain acceptance.
Is “come in from the cold” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.