draw in

phrasal verb·1 sense·particle in

Usefulness

Meanings

1

Pull inward (breath, attention)

Absorptionuncommon

Why “in”? Something moves inward or becomes hidden. Air enters the body, and ideas or experiences enter the mind.

He drew in a sharp breath.
He took a quick, sudden breath.
She drew in the smell of fresh bread.
She took a deep breath and enjoyed the smell of fresh bread.

Don't confuse with

draw indraw out

Draw in means pull inward. Draw out means encourage a shy person to talk more.

Test yourself

He drew in a sharp breath. What does it mean?

Nearby in the meaning map

Sink In connects verbs by particle pattern, contrast pairs, and shared base verbs.

Sink In app icon

Sink In — iOS & Android

Practice “draw in” in Sink In

Drill “draw in” and 1,300+ other phrasal verbs with spaced repetition, organised by the particle patterns that connect them.

  • Learn the pattern behind dozens of verbs at once — not one-off translations.
  • Spaced repetition (SM-2) brings each meaning back right before you forget.
  • Four practice modes train recall and discrimination, not just recognition.
1,300+ phrasal verbs26 particle patternsBuilt for B1–C2
Sink In daily spaced-repetition practice session