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

Registered voters can either cast their ballot by mail, return it to one of the 109 ballot drop boxes in the county or vote in person at one of the 38 vote centers. —Grace Hase, Mercury News, 30 Dec. 2025

Police said a group of three burglars broke into three businesses through the rear doors or breaking the windows, before stealing change machines and cash from the registers and cash boxes in offices. —Todd Feurer, CBS News, 29 Dec. 2025

Bedroom Drawers Line up shoe boxes in your drawers to separate socks from lingerie or neckties. —Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 29 Dec. 2025

For example, Yum Brands' Taco Bell followed up the introduction of its $7 Luxe Cravings boxes in 2024 by adding $5 and $9 versions earlier this year. —Amelia Lucas, CNBC, 28 Dec. 2025

Rhymes for box in

• coxon
• oxen
• tocsin
• toxin
• aflatoxin
• antitoxin
• digitoxin
• endotoxin
• exotoxin
• ferredoxin
• mycotoxin
• neurotoxin