cash in

verb

cashed in; cashing in; cashes in

transitive verb

: to obtain cash for

cashed in the bonds

intransitive verb

1

a

: to retire from a gambling game

b

: to settle accounts and withdraw from an involvement (such as a business deal)

2

: to obtain advantage or financial profit

—often used with on

cash in on a bestseller

Synonyms of cash in

• use
• abuse
• exploit
• walk on
• leverage
• play (on or upon)
• capitalize (on)
• manipulate
• trade on
• impose (on or upon)

Examples of cash in in a Sentence

some observers thought the lawyers were cashing in on the tragedy

Recent Examples on the Web

That was far from the case with McAuley, which in the 1960s was flush with cash in the form of property taxes from a nearby Western Electric parts plant. — Bob Goldsborough, Chicago Tribune, 20 July 2026

In addition to the three WNBA games, the World Cup semifinals brought a thrilling finish, with Lionel Messi creating two last-ditch scoring opportunities, cashed in by teammates as Argentina stunned England. — Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 19 July 2026

The only Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach county candidates who reported taking in more cash in the quarter are wealthy candidates who are pouring millions of dollars of their own money into their efforts to get to Congress. — Anthony Man, Sun Sentinel, 18 July 2026

Pouncing on a rare error from Oliver Kahn, Ronaldo cashes in his World Cup/injury karma by tucking the ball home to make it 1-0. — Adam Hurrey, New York Times, 17 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1888, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Rhymes for cash in

• ashen
• fashion
• passion
• ration
• compassion
• internation

Kids Definition

cash in

verb

1

: to obtain cash for

cashed in her bonds

2

: to benefit financially

souvenir sellers cashed in at the fair

cashing in on their brother's fame