suck in

British  

verb

1. (tr) to attract by using an inexorable force, inducement, etc

   the current sucked him in

2. to draw in (one's breath) sharply

3. slang (tr) to deceive or defraud

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suck in Idioms  

1. Also, suck into . Draw into a course of action, as in They sucked me into helping them raise money . [Second half of 1700s]

2. 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]

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Example Sentences

Danny sucked in a breath as the arrows disappeared from beneath him.

From Literature

In fact, almost exactly a decade ago I wrote that these funds were red-hot, sucking in billions of dollars from investors desperate to chase recent high performance.

From The Wall Street Journal

First, the pipes will be fed by new wide inlet heads, which slow the water so that fish are not sucked in.

From BBC

Chase couldn’t tell what it was, but it frightened him so badly that he nearly sucked in a lungful of water.

From Literature

The city’s narrow lots sets the Chicago iteration apart: “almost like it’s sucking in its stomach,” the authors write.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• be dishonest
• betray
• cheat
• circumvent
• defraud
• delude
• disappoint
• dupe
• entrap
• falsify
• fool
• hoodwink
• mislead
• swindle
• trick
• victimize