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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 in
We were boxed in and couldn't get out of our parking space.
sometimes used figuratively
I feel boxed in by all these rules.

Examples of box in in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Empty Boxes Similar to shopping and gift bags, an influx of empty boxes in your closet should go as well, and Brock agrees. Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 3 Dec. 2025 And if that’s not enough to pique your interest, there’s a resident cat, too, often sitting on top of a box in between shelves. Michael James Rocha, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Dec. 2025 The viral stunt is the latest evidence of China’s growing strength in robotics, especially the humanoid kinds that can already dance en masse to Chinese music and box in a ring. Nicholas Gordon, Fortune, 26 Nov. 2025 Each sonic component of the song is an object placed within that box in a specific location at a specific time; that’s spatial audio. Nicole Fell, HollywoodReporter, 22 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for box in

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Cite this Entry

“Box in.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/box%20in. Accessed 5 Dec. 2025.

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