box in
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
The coach said that one of the central focuses of their preparation had been avoiding turnovers near South Korea’s box in the face of Mexico’s high press.
—
Los Angeles Times,
20 June 2026
Bradley checks the solid-but-unspectacular box in most other aspects of his game.
—
John Hollinger,
New York Times,
20 June 2026
Defender Tarik Muharemovic received a red card for bringing down Switzerland’s Breel Embolo just outside the 18-yard box in the 80th minute.
—
Scott M. Reid,
Oc Register,
19 June 2026
Warsh seeks to curb the central bank’s communications, arguing that projecting too much can box in policymakers.
—
Danielle Chemtob,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for box in
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show current usage.
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Los Angeles Times,
20 June 2026
Bradley checks the solid-but-unspectacular box in most other aspects of his game.
—
John Hollinger,
New York Times,
20 June 2026
Defender Tarik Muharemovic received a red card for bringing down Switzerland’s Breel Embolo just outside the 18-yard box in the 80th minute.
—
Scott M. Reid,
Oc Register,
19 June 2026
Warsh seeks to curb the central bank’s communications, arguing that projecting too much can box in policymakers.
—
Danielle Chemtob,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2026
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 Jun. 2026.
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