take-in

1 of 2

noun

ˈtā-ˌkin 

: an act of taking in especially by deceiving

take in

2 of 2

verb

took in; taken in; taking in; takes in

transitive verb

1

a

: to receive as a guest or lodger

b

: to give shelter to

c

: to take to a police station as a prisoner

2

: to draw into a smaller compass

take in the slack of a line

:

a

: to make (a garment) smaller by enlarging seams or tucks

b

: furl

3

: to receive as payment or proceeds

4

: to receive (work) into one's house to be done for pay

take in washing

5

: to encompass within its limits

6

a

: to include in an itinerary

b

: attend

take in a movie

7

: to receive into the mind : perceive

took in the view

8

: deceive, dupe

Synonyms

Verb

• bamboozle
• beguile
• bluff
• buffalo
• burn
• catch
• con
• cozen
• deceive
• delude
• dupe
• fake out
• fool
• gaff
• gammon
• gull
• have
• have on [chiefly British]
• hoax
• hoodwink
• hornswoggle
• humbug
• juggle
• misguide
• misinform
• mislead
• snooker
• snow
• spoof
• string along
• suck in
• sucker
• trick

Examples of take-in in a Sentence

Verb

a fellow passenger on the cruise completely took me in when he claimed to be the owner of a major software company

this report takes in all the latest information on the subject

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

In the Seattle area, the Northwest Community Bail Fund’s annual take-in blew up from a mere $158,000 to about $5.7 million. —Rob Kuznia, CNN, 21 Mar. 2023

Verb

As Bloomberg reports, Christie’s admits that some client information was taken in an attack earlier this month—which took the art-world titan’s website offline for 10 days—but says there’s no evidence of financial or transactional records having been purloined. —David Meyer, Fortune, 28 May 2024

When taken in doses greater than 350 mg, magnesium slowly draws water into the bowels, producing a laxative effect. —Suzie Finkel Ms, Rd, Cdn, Health, 26 May 2024

The photos can be found on Elz’s website, which states they were taken in 1984. —Raven Brunner, Peoplemag, 26 May 2024

Another photo, taken in the same area on May 9, shows the results of two wet winters. —Terry Castleman, Los Angeles Times, 23 May 2024

While steps have been taken in recent years to resolve health inequities driven by these systemic issues, the financial burdens underlying many of these concerns have yet to be addressed in a universal or consistent way. —Stacy Hurt, STAT, 23 May 2024

The indictment details eight seizures of cocaine across the Midwest, starting with about 11 pounds first taken in Chicago in March 2021. —Minnah Arshad, USA TODAY, 22 May 2024

Others sat back and took in the testimony, occasionally peering at the gallery of reporters and public observers. —Michael R. Sisak, Jennifer Peltz, TIME, 20 May 2024

He was transferred to Harbor-UCLA Medical Center in Torrance and taken in for emergency surgery. —Nathan Solis, Los Angeles Times, 17 May 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1778, in the meaning defined above

Verb

circa 1518, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Kids Definition

take in

verb

1

a

: to reduce the length of

take in a slack line

b

: to make smaller by enlarging seams or tucks

take in a coat

2

a

: to receive as a guest or resident

b

: to give shelter to

3

: to receive and do at home for pay

take in washing

4

: to include within fixed limits

the camp took in several acres

5

: attend sense 4

take in a movie

6

: to observe and think about so as to understand

paused to take the situation in

7

: to deceive so as to take advantage of

taken in by a hard luck story