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.
Aspirating devices, for example, constantly suck in air in order to detect even small quantities of smoke in a room.
From BBC • Jan. 15, 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
Iran also does not want a broader war, one that would suck in the United States.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 15, 2024
The researchers calculated that a similar closed system, where the pump is enclosed and uses a tube to suck in water and particles, would require high energy inputs to operate.
From Science Daily • Dec. 4, 2023
I suck in a long breath and prepare to hear the names of the winners.
From "Like Vanessa" by Tami Charles
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.
