inbox

noun

in·​box ˈin-ˌbäks 

variants or in-box

plural inboxes or in-boxes

1

: a box or tray (as on a desk) for holding incoming interoffice mail

2

: a computer folder devoted to incoming email

One of my favorite rituals soon became scanning our email inbox, looking for your photographs … and reading the letters you sent …

—Amy Virshup

Examples of inbox in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Click here to have breaking news alerts sent directly to your inbox. —Angie Dimichele, Sun Sentinel, 18 Feb. 2026

Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get health news sent straight to your inbox. —Meg Wingerter, Denver Post, 18 Feb. 2026

Sign up to receive it in your inbox. —Hannah Jocelyn, New Yorker, 18 Feb. 2026

To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here and select the Sports Report. —Los Angeles Times, 18 Feb. 2026

Get Morning Squawk directly to your inbox The Morning Squawk newsletter by Alex Harring is your rundown of five things to know before the stock market opens. —Alex Harring, CNBC, 18 Feb. 2026

Sign up here to receive The Bounce directly in your inbox. —Zach Harper, New York Times, 18 Feb. 2026

Get weekly deals, trends and product recommendations from USA TODAY Shopping delivered straight to your inbox. —Cheryl McCloud, Florida Times-Union, 18 Feb. 2026

Want more sports sent directly to your inbox? —Ray Padilla, Louisville Courier Journal, 18 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1958, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

in-box

noun

ˈin-ˌbäks 

: a receptacle for incoming letters between offices in an organization

also : a computer folder for incoming email