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to cash in on

to cash in on

30 4.4
Get money or other benefits from a situation, often unfairly
  • phrasal verb
  • /kæʃ ɪn ɑn/
translation icon : sacar provecho de
  • Many small businesses are looking to cash in on the increased tourist traffic this summer.
  • cash in on success

He's a YouTube guy who's cashing in on what he's built.

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Examples

  • Social media helps Wildcat Sanctuary cash in on Give to the Max Day.

    Blog text (29)
  • Want to know which Halloween costumes you can cash in on as an affiliate this year?

    Blog text (1)
  • So they were trying to cash in on that and they started making really expensive stuff and a lot of people were not having it.

  • Yeah, When can we cash in on this thing?

  • So travel is a great way to cash in on your time wealth.

  • The corporation truly does cash in on the farmer's efforts.

    Academic text (2000)
  • Manners tried to cash in on the success of the play by writing an expanded version in novel form.

    Academic text (1996)
  • Private investors followed, hoping to cash in on what looked like an imminent epic shift in the way the world produced electricity.

    Academic text (2012)
  • Brazil is now preparing to cash in on another gusher: oil.

    Academic text (2010)
  • Now that you've killed the bad guy and made the world safe for democracy, how are you going to cash in on your new-found fame?

Synonyms

to take advantage
vsto cash in on
549 4.6

To use a person or situation to get an unfair benefit for yourself

is similar but emphasizes doing so opportunistically for money or benefit
to take advantage of
vsto cash in on
465 2.5

Use someone's trust or weakness to get something unfairly

is more about seizing chances for personal or financial gain opportunistically
to exploit
vsto cash in on
95 4.1

To use resources or chances well to get a good result

is often more opportunistic and aimed at quick personal profit
to capitalize
vsto cash in on
76 4.9

To use a situation to get an advantage

is often more opportunistic and focused on profit or personal gain
to seize on
vsto cash in on
19 5.3

To quickly use an idea or chance to get an advantage

is used more for opportunistic profit rather than sudden interest
to seize the opportunity
vsto cash in on
10 3.9

Act quickly to use a good chance

is specifically about acting to gain, often with opportunistic motive
to make out like a bandit
vsto cash in on
  • Informal
2 8.4

Get a lot of money or things by luck

is more generally about opportunistic taking rather than large windfalls
to bounce on
vsto cash in on
  • Informal
7.2

Act quickly to take an opportunity before others do

is generally about using a chance for personal or financial gain

Antonyms

Fail to use a chance to do something you want

How Opportunistic

to cash in on
30 4.4
to exploit
214 5.6
to profit
140 3.2

Surface Forms

cash in on infinitive
cashed in on past participle
cashing in on present participle
cashes in on third person singular

Morphology

cash + in + on

The verb 'cash' evokes converting something into money and the particle sequence 'in on' signals involvement in an opportunity, so a learner who knows the words can infer a monetized or opportunistic sense. However, the specific pragmatic nuance 'to exploit or take advantage of (often opportunistically)' is metaphorical and not fully predictable from the literal parts, so some prior exposure is usually needed for the exact meaning.

Etymology

Cash in on comes from the simple idea of turning something into money: to cash something in meant handing in a ticket or coupon and getting money. So, to cash in on something today means to use a chance or situation to 'get money' or a benefit.