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 inWe were boxed in and couldn't get out of our parking space.
—sometimes used figurativelyI feel boxed in by all these rules.
Examples of box in in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Wrap each box in festive paper or paint it with Halloween motifs, number them, and stack them in a decorative pyramid or spread them across a shelf.
—
Elizabeth Fogarty, Better Homes & Gardens, 24 Sep. 2025
In a sport where fighters often define themselves as strikers, grapplers, or submission specialists, Ukah refuses to be boxed in.
—Sindiswa Mabunda, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
Jose Altuve has been a below-average hitter during this stretch, but Yankees fans would likely not feel relaxed with him in the batter's box in the postseason.
—Jackson Roberts, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Sep. 2025
Jose Altuve has been a below-average hitter during this stretch, but Yankees fans would likely not feel relaxed with him in the batter’s box in the postseason.
—Chris Kirschner, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for box in
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Elizabeth Fogarty, Better Homes & Gardens, 24 Sep. 2025
In a sport where fighters often define themselves as strikers, grapplers, or submission specialists, Ukah refuses to be boxed in.
—Sindiswa Mabunda, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
Jose Altuve has been a below-average hitter during this stretch, but Yankees fans would likely not feel relaxed with him in the batter's box in the postseason.
—Jackson Roberts, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Sep. 2025
Jose Altuve has been a below-average hitter during this stretch, but Yankees fans would likely not feel relaxed with him in the batter’s box in the postseason.
—Chris Kirschner, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for box in
Cite this Entry
“Box in.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/box%20in. Accessed 26 Sep. 2025.
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