Definition

Verb (transitive, informal): * To earn or acquire a very large amount of money, especially quickly, easily, or in a steady, impressive stream.

Usage

This phrasal verb is used to emphasize the earning of a significant and often surprising sum. It is commonly used in continuous tenses to describe an ongoing period of high earnings. The object is typically money or a synonym for money. The pronoun "it" is frequently used as the object (e.g., "rake it in").

Examples

• The new tech startup is raking in millions from its viral app.
• During the holiday season, the store rakes in most of its annual profit.
• Since her song topped the charts, she's been raking it in.
• The popular online course continues to rake in revenue every month.

Advanced Usage

• "Rake in the cash/dough/bucks": These are common informal collocations that reinforce the idea of earning money.
  • The casino was raking in the cash all night long.
• The verb can sometimes be applied to winning large quantities of things other than money, such as votes or awards, by extension.
  • The incumbent candidate raked in votes from the urban districts.

Variants and Related Words

• Rake-off (noun, informal): A share of profits, especially one taken illegally or unethically.
  • He was getting a rake-off from every contract he arranged.
• Rake (verb): The base verb means to gather or collect with or as if with a rake. "Rake in" is a figurative extension of this meaning.

Synonyms

• Earn a fortune
• Make a killing (informal)
• Pull in (informal)
• Coin it/money (informal)
• Clean up (informal)

Related Phrasal Verbs

• Bring in: To earn or yield as income. (More neutral than "rake in").
  • The side business brings in an extra thousand a month.
• Pull in: To earn a specified amount of money.
  • He pulls in a six-figure salary.

Verb

1. earn large sums of money
   • Since she accepted the new position, she has been raking it in