in like Flynn
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
Having achieved a goal or gained access as desired.
Register: slang
Where it’s used:
Used
American English
Examples
[Robert] Gibbs is perfectly affable and even, in his way, courtly. And yet he seems to be not quite listening. Nothing touches him. This is no doubt partly because everybody understands he's in like Flynn.
Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Common questions
What does “in like Flynn” mean?
Having achieved a goal or gained access as desired.
Is “in like Flynn” formal or informal?
in like Flynn is generally slang.