From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishcome to phrasal verb1 come to a decision/conclusion/agreement etc to decide something, agree on something etc after considering or discussing a situation SYN reach We came to the conclusion that there was no other way back to the camp. If they don’t come to a decision by midnight, the talks will be abandoned.2 come to a halt/stop a) to slow down and stop SYN stop The train came to a stop just yards from the barrier. b) to stop operating or continuing After the election our funding came to an abrupt halt.3 come to somethingREACH A STATE to develop so that a particular situation exists, usually a bad one I never thought it would come to this. We need to be prepared to fight, but hopefully it won’t come to that (=that won’t be necessary). All those years of studying, and in the end it all came to nothing. It’s come to something when I’m not allowed to express an opinion in my own house!what is the world/the country etc coming to? (=used to say that the world etc is in a bad situation)4 come to somethingTOTAL to add up to a total amount That comes to £23.50. The bill came to £48.50.5 come to somebodyIDEA if a thought or idea comes to you, you realize or remember something The answer came to me in a flash. I’ve forgotten her name, but maybe it’ll come to me later. 6 CONSCIOUSto become conscious again after you have been unconscious When he came to, he was lying on the floor with his hands tied behind his back.7 when it comes to something informal when you are dealing with something or talking about something He’s a bit of an expert when it comes to computers. → come→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
come to• Including wine, the bill came to $70.• Have you come to a decision?• He came to a few minutes later, unable to remember anything about the accident.• In the morning they travelled on until they came to a thick wood.• We were walking through the woods when we came to a waterfall.• Total profits from all sources for the year came to about $15 million.• Ian stopped at the next house he came to and asked to use the phone.• It came to Blake in a flash that the man was really a detective.• He and John, the Red Comyn, had come to blows before.• She'd come to investigate the past, and discovered her own future instead.• It suddenly came to me that I'd seen her somewhere before.• The way it came to me was just the way you wish everything comes to you.• The idea for the new advertising campaign came to me while I was visiting Thailand.• The grass came to my knees.• Gladys Brown and her husband came to number ten quite a few years after we moved in.• The Communists came to power in China in 1949.• There is no reason they can't come to some sort of agreement.• If this was the end then she needed time to come to terms with it by herself.• But human ingenuity and intelligence, plus what may amount to an instinct for symbolism, comes to the rescue.come to a decision/conclusion/agreement etc• Conclusion With so many unanswered questions, it is an unwise man who comes to a conclusion.• He paused at a street corner and tried to come to a decision.• Léonie stared at the two shops and came to a decision.• She and o Pappous came to a decision.• We had tea afterwards in a hotel in Berthing, but we failed to come to an agreement.• In the restaurant he realized that he had come to a decision about things.• The Post Office says it hopes the two sides can come to an agreement at a branch meeting this evening.• He has not yet come to a conclusion on that.come to a halt/stop• Almost at once there was a slight crunch of gravel under wheels as a vehicle came to a halt.• The elevator rose smoothly, then came to a stop.• The score indicates how far the ball bounces forward before it comes to a halt.• The train lurches into movement, then, quickly, comes to a halt.• He rose and led them both down the stone steps, coming to a halt at the entrance to the vestry door.• An unshaven old man in a stained jacket comes to a stop beside us.• As it came to a stop, it widened the frenzied cluster of moths surrounding the yellow platform light over his head.came to nothing• It is particularly unfortunate that the earliest work came to nothing.• Khruschev's threats over Berlin came to nothing.• Plots to dispose of him came to nothing.• Speculation that the deputy chairman, Lord Barnett, might also be removed came to nothing.• The new agreement's principles - there are no details yet - are based on old deals that came to nothing.• There were several alarms, bringing laughing giggles of relief when they came to nothing.• Tom Anderson was always in evidence on the right but his good stick work came to nothing.• An ambitious reclamation scheme on the south coast also came to nothing around this time.come to something• In the morning they travelled on until they came to a thick wood.• He and John, the Red Comyn, had come to blows before.• She'd come to investigate the past, and discovered her own future instead.• The way it came to me was just the way you wish everything comes to you.• Gladys Brown and her husband came to number ten quite a few years after we moved in.• If this was the end then she needed time to come to terms with it by herself.• But human ingenuity and intelligence, plus what may amount to an instinct for symbolism, comes to the rescue.come to somebody• In the morning they travelled on until they came to a thick wood.• He and John, the Red Comyn, had come to blows before.• She'd come to investigate the past, and discovered her own future instead.• The way it came to me was just the way you wish everything comes to you.• Gladys Brown and her husband came to number ten quite a few years after we moved in.• If this was the end then she needed time to come to terms with it by herself.• But human ingenuity and intelligence, plus what may amount to an instinct for symbolism, comes to the rescue.when it comes to something• The particles themselves remain separate and discrete when it comes to being passed on to the next generation.• But when it comes to haute-cuisine, Charlie Nicholas knows where he stands.• And when it comes to makeup, do you think Cindy Crawford would actually lie?• Yet diesel gets off easily when it comes to pollution controls.• When it comes to relationships, everyone makes mistakes.• I can use a computer, but when it comes to repairing them I don't know a thing.• It is obvious that when it comes to representing his country, there is no one to equal Andre Agassi.• Judges will normally interpret contracts strictly and will use certain principles when it comes to resolving inconsistencies and ambiguities.• Again, when it comes to the selection process, the West Coast is not dealing from strength.• Trade is a sticking point, particularly when it comes to trucks. 