jack-in-the-box
noun
plural jack-in-the-boxes or jacks-in-the-box
: a toy consisting of a small box out of which a figure (as of a clown's head) springs when the lid is raised
Examples of jack-in-the-box in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
This week’s episode picks up with June and Moira popping out of Joseph Lawrence’s car trunk like a couple of jacks-in-the-box.
—
Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 29 Apr. 2025
To rival the Sandworm and Wolverine popcorn buckets, there’s a Beetlejuice jack-in-the-box popcorn bucket at Cinemark.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 6 Sep. 2024
Mitchell, 86, joined Mattel in 1955 assembling jack-in-the-boxes, four years before the company debuted its iconic blond-haired Barbie.
—Kalia Richardson, Rolling Stone, 20 June 2024
The play wants Josh’s secret involving a past incident with his father-in-law to spring out at the climax like a jack-in-the-box, but the information, already hazily intuited by the audience, is awkwardly integrated into the larger story.
—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2023
Frequent disruptions put us on high alert like a jack-in-the-box, triggering a release of adrenaline, norepinephrine and cortisol.
—Brittany Harker Martin, Fortune Well, 4 May 2023
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Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 29 Apr. 2025
To rival the Sandworm and Wolverine popcorn buckets, there’s a Beetlejuice jack-in-the-box popcorn bucket at Cinemark.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 6 Sep. 2024
Mitchell, 86, joined Mattel in 1955 assembling jack-in-the-boxes, four years before the company debuted its iconic blond-haired Barbie.
—Kalia Richardson, Rolling Stone, 20 June 2024
The play wants Josh’s secret involving a past incident with his father-in-law to spring out at the climax like a jack-in-the-box, but the information, already hazily intuited by the audience, is awkwardly integrated into the larger story.
—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2023
Frequent disruptions put us on high alert like a jack-in-the-box, triggering a release of adrenaline, norepinephrine and cortisol.
—Brittany Harker Martin, Fortune Well, 4 May 2023
Cite this Entry
“Jack-in-the-box.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jack-in-the-box. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
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