1. Provide with shelter
   "They took in refugees during the war"
    
2. Fool or hoax
   "The con artist took in many unsuspecting victims";
   - gull, dupe, slang [archaic, informal], befool [archaic], cod [Brit, informal], fool, put on, put one over [informal], put one across [informal]
    
3. Suck or take up or in
   "A black star takes in all matter";
   - absorb
    
4. Visit for entertainment
   "take in the sights"
    
5. Call for and obtain payment of
   "we took in over a million dollars in outstanding debts";
   - collect
    
6. Look at and follow all (or part of) something being shown or performed
   "take in a show on television";
   - watch, view, see, catch
    
7. Express willingness to have in one's home or environs
   "The community warmly took in the refugees";
   - receive, invite
    
8. Fold up
   "take in the sails";
   - gather in
    
9. Take up mentally
   "he took in the knowledge or beliefs of his tribe";
   - absorb, assimilate, ingest
    
10. Receive money in return for work; make a profit as the result of some business transaction
    "He takes in $5,000 each month";
    - gain, clear, make, earn, realize, realise [Brit], pull in [informal], bring in
     
11. Hear, usually without the knowledge of the speakers
    "We took in the conversation at the next table";
    - catch, overhear
     
12. Accept
    "The cloth takes in the liquid";
    - take up
     
13. Take in, also metaphorically
    "The sponge takes in water well";
    - absorb, suck, imbibe, soak up, sop up, suck up, draw, take up
     
14. Take up as if with a sponge
    "The paper towel took in the spilled water";
    - sop up, suck in, take up
     
15. Eat, esp. normally or regularly
    - consume, ingest, take, have
     
16. Take into one's family
    "They took in two children from Nicaragua";
    - adopt
     
17. Make (clothes) smaller
    "Please take in this skirt — I've lost weight"

1. An act of deception or swindling
   "The elaborate take-in left the victim thousands of dollars poorer"

Derived forms: takes in, taken in, taking in, took in, take-ins

See also: get hold of, have, take

Type of: accept, acquire, act, alter, betray, change, deceit, deceive, deception, dissembling, dissimulation, domiciliate [rare], furl, get, have, hear, house, larn [informal], lead astray, learn, move, put up, receive, see, sorb, take, take up, vary, visit, watch

Antonym: let out