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
Another 20 flies were landing on boxes in a storage area.
—
David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 24 Apr. 2025
At the corner of Murphy Street and Grand Avenue, police cars boxed in Jones’ vehicle.
—Emilia Otte, Hartford Courant, 17 Apr. 2025
The murkiness of the scale-back was typical for a President who hates to be boxed in or give his critics validation.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 2 Apr. 2025
But Ballerini, who has refused to be boxed in by genre limitations, has charted her own singular career in Nashville and beyond.
—Jeff Nelson, People.com, 1 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for box in
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David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 24 Apr. 2025
At the corner of Murphy Street and Grand Avenue, police cars boxed in Jones’ vehicle.
—Emilia Otte, Hartford Courant, 17 Apr. 2025
The murkiness of the scale-back was typical for a President who hates to be boxed in or give his critics validation.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 2 Apr. 2025
But Ballerini, who has refused to be boxed in by genre limitations, has charted her own singular career in Nashville and beyond.
—Jeff Nelson, People.com, 1 Apr. 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 6 May. 2025.
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