pen in
idiom
: to prevent (someone or something) from moving beyond a particular area
The prisoners were penned in by a high fence.
—often used figurativelyShe felt penned in by their relationship.
Examples of pen in in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
And as the legal scholars put it, with the precision of a pen in an ink pot.
—
Ruchi Kumar, NPR, 8 May 2024
Henney and Wally were visiting friends in Brunswick when someone took the gator from his pen in the early morning hours of April 21, the Wallygator Facebook page posted on Saturday.
—Rachel Treisman, NPR, 3 May 2024
Rodríguez’s ability to spin a basketball atop a pen in his mouth led to his being cast in a series of commercials, which piqued his interest in acting and working in front of the camera.
—Max Gao, NBC News, 30 Apr. 2024
The woman appears to talk to him while holding a pen in her other hand, with the documents in front of them on the table.
—Samira Asma-Sadeque, Peoplemag, 18 Apr. 2024
Jones was sitting across from her attorney with a pen in her hand when someone mentioned a nondisparagement clause.
—Ovetta Wiggins, Washington Post, 28 Dec. 2023
With my notepad and pen in hand, nothing was going to stop me from learning how to construct a profile — even my own fear.
—Claire Coffey, oregonlive, 18 July 2023
In addition, a rescue group sent West five wild mustangs from a kill pen in Colorado with three more on the way.
—Julie Jag, The Salt Lake Tribune, 19 July 2023
The search happened on Sept. 7 after the girl’s friend asked her to put her vape pen in her locker.
—Adam Ferrise, cleveland, 2 Aug. 2023
Ruchi Kumar, NPR, 8 May 2024
Henney and Wally were visiting friends in Brunswick when someone took the gator from his pen in the early morning hours of April 21, the Wallygator Facebook page posted on Saturday.
—Rachel Treisman, NPR, 3 May 2024
Rodríguez’s ability to spin a basketball atop a pen in his mouth led to his being cast in a series of commercials, which piqued his interest in acting and working in front of the camera.
—Max Gao, NBC News, 30 Apr. 2024
The woman appears to talk to him while holding a pen in her other hand, with the documents in front of them on the table.
—Samira Asma-Sadeque, Peoplemag, 18 Apr. 2024
Jones was sitting across from her attorney with a pen in her hand when someone mentioned a nondisparagement clause.
—Ovetta Wiggins, Washington Post, 28 Dec. 2023
With my notepad and pen in hand, nothing was going to stop me from learning how to construct a profile — even my own fear.
—Claire Coffey, oregonlive, 18 July 2023
In addition, a rescue group sent West five wild mustangs from a kill pen in Colorado with three more on the way.
—Julie Jag, The Salt Lake Tribune, 19 July 2023
The search happened on Sept. 7 after the girl’s friend asked her to put her vape pen in her locker.
—Adam Ferrise, cleveland, 2 Aug. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pen in.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near pen in
Cite this Entry
“Pen in.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pen%20in. Accessed 11 May. 2024.
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