1 B2 neutral
to pull in a fishing line or bring something closer by winding it on a reel
"He reeled in the line slowly and finally saw the fish near the boat."
separable
reel in
B2 neutral separable transitive
to pull something in, especially with a reel, or to attract and secure something valuable
In plain English
to pull something closer, or to get something you want
What does "reel in" mean?
3 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B2 idiomatic neutral
to attract and secure customers, money, votes, or other benefits
"The new ad campaign reeled in thousands of online subscribers."
“
Disney+ reeled in 10 million sign-ups on day one.
— News headlines, 2019
separable
3 C1 idiomatic neutral
to shock or unsettle someone emotionally
"The sudden accusation left him reeling in disbelief."
intransitive
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
to wind something in using a reel
Actually means
to pull something closer, or to get something you want
Usage tip
This phrase is used both literally in fishing and figuratively for attracting customers, votes, money, or support.
Words that pair with "reel in"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
fish line customers voters profits investment
How to conjugate "reel in"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
reel in
I/you/we/they
3rd person
reels in
he/she/it
Past simple
reeled in
yesterday
Past participle
reeled in
have + pp
-ing form
reeling in
continuous
Hear "reel in" in the wild
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Other ways to say "reel in"
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Keep exploring
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