suck in
Britishverb
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(tr) to attract by using an inexorable force, inducement, etc
the current sucked him in
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to draw in (one's breath) sharply
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slang (tr) to deceive or defraud
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Also, suck into . Draw into a course of action, as in They sucked me into helping them raise money . [Second half of 1700s]
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Take advantage of, cheat, swindle, as in That used-car salesman sure sucked in my uncle and aunt . This usage employs suck in the sense of “take in.” [First half of 1800s]
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
He continues by "mewing," a TikTok trend where people suck in their cheeks and point a finger at their jawline to emphasize their chiseled features.
From Barron's ● Aug. 22, 2026
It needs to suck in the equivalent of an Olympic swimming pool worth of water every few seconds to keep it cool.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 12, 2025
Air-source pumps, for example, suck in outdoor air and pass it over tubes containing refrigerant fluids to produce heat.
From BBC ● Mar. 18, 2024
We’re all in this together is the takeaway of Posner’s play — and that doesn’t suck in the least.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 24, 2023
I suck in a breath but suddenly there is not enough air in the room to suck in.
From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
