box in

phrasal verb

boxed in; boxing in; boxes in
: to surround (someone or something) and make movement difficult
The other bicyclists boxed her in and she couldn't move ahead.
usually used as (be) boxed in
We were boxed in and couldn't get out of our parking space.
sometimes used figuratively
I feel boxed in by all these rules.

Examples of box in in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The Lebanon Police Department explained via statement the details of leaving a child at a baby box in Ohio. Danielle Jennings, People.com, 3 Dec. 2024 Bollinger checked pretty much all of those boxes in our blind taste test. Sam Stone, Bon Appétit, 2 Dec. 2024 All drop boxes in the city are made of heavy-duty steel, bolted to the ground and monitored by 24-hour surveillance cameras. Cailey Gleeson, Journal Sentinel, 31 Oct. 2024 Scott, the elections director, said there are about 15 drop boxes in Multnomah County, as well as about another 15 staffed sites where people can drop off their ballots. Eric Levenson, CNN, 30 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for box in 

Dictionary Entries Near box in

Cite this Entry

“Box in.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/box%20in. Accessed 24 Dec. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!