get an in with

Idioms and Phrases

Also, have an in with . Acquire (or have) influence with someone in authority. For example, The only way they'll allow us to film the play is if we get an in with the director , or We should have no problem, since Dad has an in with the inspector . This idiom employs the noun in the sense of “an introduction to someone of power, fame, or authority,” a usage dating from the 1920s.