1
: large enough to be walked into
a walk-in closet
2
: arranged so as to be entered directly rather than through a lobby
a walk-in apartment
3
a
: being a person who walks in without an appointment
a walk-in blood donor
b
: of, relating to, or intended for such persons
a walk-in clinic

walk-in

2 of 2

noun

1
: a walk-in refrigerator or cold storage room
2
: an easy election victory
3
: a person who walks in without an appointment

Examples of walk-in in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
At 17, a boss followed me into a walk-in freezer and pinned me against the wall. Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 29 June 2026 No date marking was labeled on a container of cooked chicken nuggets or on raw chicken and raw beef inside the walk-in cooler. Joseph Hernandez, Kansas City Star, 29 June 2026
Noun
The walk-in refrigerator is bare. Nina Metz, Chicago Tribune, 26 June 2026 The back room of Flod’s studio is like a butcher’s walk-in fridge, where dozens more masks hang from the ceiling, each more outlandish than the last. Ryan Steven Green, Los Angeles Times, 29 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for walk-in

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1912, in the meaning defined at sense 3a

Noun

1924, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Time Traveler
The first known use of walk-in was in 1912

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Walk-in.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/walk-in. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

Kids Definition

walk-in

adjective
ˌwȯ-ˌkin
1
: large enough to be walked into
a walk-in closet
2
: being or relating to a person who walks in without an appointment

Medical Definition

: providing medical services to ambulatory patients without an appointment
a walk-in clinic
also : being an individual who uses such services

walk-in

2 of 2 noun
: a walk-in patient
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