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 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

Last November, a 45-year-old man died after he was trapped inside a donation box in Houston and was unable to breathe, officials said. — David Chiu, PEOPLE, 22 July 2026

Schwake denied Atlanta forward Luke Brennan from just outside the six-yard box in the 59th. — ABC News, 17 July 2026

Moments after meeting some of his childhood heroes, Brother Rice’s Brady Cunningham stepped into the batter’s box in front of over 40,000 fans at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia. — Steve Millar, Chicago Tribune, 17 July 2026

Netanyahu apparently believed that Hamas was boxed in and posed no significant threat to Israel, whereas the Palestinian Authority could potentially create the conditions for a Palestinian state. — Thomas Wright, The Atlantic, 16 July 2026

Rhymes for box in

• coxon
• oxen
• tocsin
• toxin
• aflatoxin
• antitoxin
• digitoxin
• endotoxin
• exotoxin
• ferredoxin
• mycotoxin
• neurotoxin