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
Nolan Arenado #28 of the St. Louis Cardinals walks up to the batter's box in the second inning during a game against the Chicago White Sox at Rate Field on June 17, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois.
—
Zach Pressnell, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 June 2025
The Amazon team, including Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Steve Letarte, brings a different energy that feels less boxed in by old-school TV constraints.
—Greg Engle, Forbes.com, 23 June 2025
The Padres had already been hit by pitches four times and the Dodgers three times in the four-game series when Shohei Ohtani stepped into the batter’s box in the ninth inning Thursday night.
—Jeff Sanders, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 June 2025
Earlier pressings of this record sounded muddy and boxed in, but here, the piano sparkles and the guitar cuts.
—Philip Martin, Arkansas Online, 19 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for box in
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Zach Pressnell, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 June 2025
The Amazon team, including Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Steve Letarte, brings a different energy that feels less boxed in by old-school TV constraints.
—Greg Engle, Forbes.com, 23 June 2025
The Padres had already been hit by pitches four times and the Dodgers three times in the four-game series when Shohei Ohtani stepped into the batter’s box in the ninth inning Thursday night.
—Jeff Sanders, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 June 2025
Earlier pressings of this record sounded muddy and boxed in, but here, the piano sparkles and the guitar cuts.
—Philip Martin, Arkansas Online, 19 June 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 3 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share