The spelling of the word "were in to for" can be a bit confusing due to the use of homophones. "Were" is pronounced as /wɜːr/, "in" as /ɪn/, "to" as /tuː/, and "for" as /fɔːr/. The phrase can be broken down into "were in" meaning "existed within", and "to for" meaning "in order to". So, the phrase could be rewritten as "existed within in order to". It's important to pay attention to the context in which this phrase is used to properly understand its meaning.