plural boxes
1
: a rigid typically rectangular container with or without a cover
a cigar box
: such as
a
: an open cargo container of a vehicle
b
: coffin
2
: the contents of a box especially as a measure of quantity
3
: an often small space, compartment, or enclosure: such as
a
: an enclosed group of seats for spectators (as in a theater or stadium)
b
: a cell for holding mail
c
d
: a driver's seat on a carriage or coach
e
British
: box stall
4
: a box or boxlike container and its contents: such as
a
: a usually self-contained piece of electronic equipment
b
c
: a signaling apparatus
alarm box
d
: an automobile transmission
e
British
: a gift in a box
f
: boom box
5
: a usually rectangular space that is frequently outlined or demarcated on a surface: such as
a
: a space on a page for printed matter or in which to make a mark
b
: any of six spaces on a baseball diamond where the batter, coaches, pitcher, and catcher stand
c
: the intersection of two roads especially when treated as an area where vehicles are prohibited from stopping because doing so would interfere with traffic flow
Don't block the box.
6
: the limitations of conventionality
trying to think outside the box
7
: a cubical building
8
British
: cup sense 5b
I like to use a pair of trousers which have a lot more room in them so that they give me far more freedom of movement. They also make it easier to put in a thigh pad and box.—
Glenn Turner
Glenn Turner9
: predicament, fix
boxed; boxing; boxes
1
: to enclose in or as if in a box
2
: to hem in (someone, such as an opponent)
—usually used with in, out, or up
boxed out the tackle
boxed; boxing; boxes
: to fight with the fists : engage in boxing
1
: to hit (something, especially someone's ears) with the hand
2
: to engage in boxing with
: a punch or slap especially on the ear
plural box or boxes
: an evergreen shrub or small tree (genus Buxus of the family Buxaceae, the box family) with opposite entire leaves and capsular fruits
especially
: a widely cultivated shrub (B. sempervirens) used for hedges, borders, and topiary figures
boxed; boxing; boxes
: to name the 32 points of (the compass) in their order
—used figuratively in the phrase box the compass to describe making a complete reversal
Synonyms
Noun (1)
Verb (1)
- cage
- closet
- coop (up)
- corral
- encage
- encase
- enclose
- inclose
- envelop
- fence (in)
- hedge
- hem (in)
- house
- immure
- include
- mew (up)
- pen
- wall (in)
Verb (2)
- bang
- bash
- bat
- belt
- biff
- bludgeon
- bob
- bonk
- bop
- bust
- clap
- clip
- clobber
- clock
- clout
- crack
- hammer
- hit
- knock
- nail
- paste
- pound
- punch
- rap
- slam
- slap
- slog
- slug
- smack
- smite
- sock
- strike
- swat
- swipe
- tag
- thump
- thwack
- wallop
- whack
- whale
- zap
Noun (2)
- bang
- bash
- bat
- beat
- belt
- biff
- blow
- bop
- buffet
- bust
- chop
- clap
- clip
- clout
- crack
- cuff
- dab
- douse [British]
- fillip
- hack
- haymaker
- hit
- hook
- knock
- larrup [dialect]
- lash
- lick
- pelt
- pick
- plump
- poke
- pound
- punch
- rap
- slam
- slap
- slug
- smack
- smash
- sock
- spank
- stinger
- stripe
- stroke
- swat
- swipe
- switch
- thud
- thump
- thwack
- wallop
- welt
- whack
- wham
- whop
- whap
Examples of box in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the WebBruce Schoenfeld Robert Fass Anna Diamond David Mason, New York Times, 4 May 2024
A little star icon on the side of the text box offers prompts for the AI to help brainstorm ideas, form outlines, or just spitball blog posts.
—Boone Ashworth, WIRED, 3 May 2024
And gone are the days of untangling my necklaces after arriving home because this box even boasts a hidden pocket with five hooks and an elasticized pouch to hang chains neatly and with ease.
—Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 3 May 2024
Her wife hands her a black leather box, which, indeed, does look like it could be filled with Oscar-night jewels.
—Jason Sheeler, Peoplemag, 3 May 2024
Rows of supporters filled benches and held tissue boxes on both sides of the courtroom Tuesday morning during the sentencing of a Meridian man who pleaded guilty to felony manslaughter while driving under the influence.
—Sally Krutzig, Idaho Statesman, 1 May 2024
Paper ballots from vote centers countywide were mixed up and stored off-site, unsorted, in thousands of boxes, while recounting scans of ballots required monitors and tech workers.
—The Editorial Board, Orange County Register, 1 May 2024
Clark’s wife, Carrie, said Galena loves to play in boxes, hide and hunt.
—Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 30 Apr. 2024
The cat, who sneaked inside a return box, was found a week later by an Amazon warehouse worker in Los Angeles.
—Josh Feldman, NBC News, 28 Apr. 2024
L. Roger Hutson, The Denver Post, 23 Apr. 2024
Couriers remembered attending square dances with banjo or guitar players and going to box suppers at local churches.
—Eliza McGraw, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 Mar. 2024
But some observers say that the regularity of the messaging itself may indicate that Trump has, in some ways, boxed himself into a corner on this issue.
—Odette Yousef, NPR, 26 Mar. 2024
By refusing to let conventional restrictions box him in, Wilson has helped to break the mold of what the modern sports star can be.
—Okla Jones, Essence, 10 Apr. 2024
Sporty types will be satisfied with a variety of activities to partake in–from tennis to petanque to pilates and yoga or boxing with a boxing champion—while those looking to relax can hide away in the luxurious Valmont spa or wind down with a drink by one of the property’s two pools.
—Monica Mendal, Vogue, 5 Apr. 2024
Sportscenter didn’t show the highlight of Green boxing out Wembayama — all 7-foot-4 of him — as the Warriors missed a 3-point shot while up 3 points with less than 10 seconds remaining.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, The Mercury News, 3 Apr. 2024
Li is at the forefront of a growing chorus of academics, policymakers and former employees who argue the sky-high cost of working with AI models is boxing researchers out of the field, compromising independent study of the burgeoning technology.
—Gerrit De Vynck, Washington Post, 10 Mar. 2024
Jake Paul actually boxed former NBA star Nate Robinson in a 2020 undercard match in which Tyson was in the main event.
—Alex Weprin, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Mar. 2024
Noun
Yet most of the Americans spotted in the owners’ box from time to time — or, worse, seldom spotted there at all — are disdained by their club’s fans.
—Bruce Schoenfeld Robert Fass Anna Diamond David Mason, New York Times, 4 May 2024
A little star icon on the side of the text box offers prompts for the AI to help brainstorm ideas, form outlines, or just spitball blog posts.
—Boone Ashworth, WIRED, 3 May 2024
And gone are the days of untangling my necklaces after arriving home because this box even boasts a hidden pocket with five hooks and an elasticized pouch to hang chains neatly and with ease.
—Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 3 May 2024
Her wife hands her a black leather box, which, indeed, does look like it could be filled with Oscar-night jewels.
—Jason Sheeler, Peoplemag, 3 May 2024
Rows of supporters filled benches and held tissue boxes on both sides of the courtroom Tuesday morning during the sentencing of a Meridian man who pleaded guilty to felony manslaughter while driving under the influence.
—Sally Krutzig, Idaho Statesman, 1 May 2024
Paper ballots from vote centers countywide were mixed up and stored off-site, unsorted, in thousands of boxes, while recounting scans of ballots required monitors and tech workers.
—The Editorial Board, Orange County Register, 1 May 2024
Clark’s wife, Carrie, said Galena loves to play in boxes, hide and hunt.
—Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 30 Apr. 2024
The cat, who sneaked inside a return box, was found a week later by an Amazon warehouse worker in Los Angeles.
—Josh Feldman, NBC News, 28 Apr. 2024
Verb
No Labels ran up against the immovable reality of the two-party duopoly in America, which boxes our leaders into corners and keeps them separated at all costs.
—L. Roger Hutson, The Denver Post, 23 Apr. 2024
Couriers remembered attending square dances with banjo or guitar players and going to box suppers at local churches.
—Eliza McGraw, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 Mar. 2024
But some observers say that the regularity of the messaging itself may indicate that Trump has, in some ways, boxed himself into a corner on this issue.
—Odette Yousef, NPR, 26 Mar. 2024
By refusing to let conventional restrictions box him in, Wilson has helped to break the mold of what the modern sports star can be.
—Okla Jones, Essence, 10 Apr. 2024
Sporty types will be satisfied with a variety of activities to partake in–from tennis to petanque to pilates and yoga or boxing with a boxing champion—while those looking to relax can hide away in the luxurious Valmont spa or wind down with a drink by one of the property’s two pools.
—Monica Mendal, Vogue, 5 Apr. 2024
Sportscenter didn’t show the highlight of Green boxing out Wembayama — all 7-foot-4 of him — as the Warriors missed a 3-point shot while up 3 points with less than 10 seconds remaining.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, The Mercury News, 3 Apr. 2024
Li is at the forefront of a growing chorus of academics, policymakers and former employees who argue the sky-high cost of working with AI models is boxing researchers out of the field, compromising independent study of the burgeoning technology.
—Gerrit De Vynck, Washington Post, 10 Mar. 2024
Jake Paul actually boxed former NBA star Nate Robinson in a 2020 undercard match in which Tyson was in the main event.
—Alex Weprin, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'box.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Articles Related to box
Dictionary Entries Near box
Cite this Entry
“Box.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/box. Accessed 7 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
box
1 of 5 noun
plural box or boxes
: an evergreen shrub or small tree used especially for hedges
box
2 of 5 noun1
a
: a container usually having four sides, a bottom, and a cover
b
: the amount held by a box
ate a whole box of popcorn
2
: a small compartment for a group of spectators in a theater
3
: the driver's seat on a carriage
4
: a shed that protects
5
: a container (as for a car transmission) that resembles a box
6
: a rectangle which encloses and draws attention to something printed
7
: a space on a baseball diamond where a batter, coach, pitcher, or catcher stands
8
: the limits of ordinariness
thinking outside the box
box
3 of 5 verb
: to enclose in or as if in a box
box
4 of 5 noun
: a punch or slap especially on the ear
box
5 of 5 verb1
: to strike with the hand
2
: to engage in boxing : fight with the fists
Etymology
Noun
Old English box "box (shrub)," from Latin buxus (same meaning), from Greek pyxos "box tree"
Noun
Old English box "container," from Latin buxis (same meaning), from Greek pyxis, literally, "a container made from boxwood"
Noun
Middle English box "a blow or slap on the ear"
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share