mailbox

noun

mail·​box ˈmāl-ˌbäks How to pronounce mailbox (audio)
1
: a box at or near a dwelling for the occupant's mail
2
: a public box for deposit of outgoing mail
3
: a computer file in which email is collected

Examples of mailbox in a Sentence

On the way to work, I dropped my letters in the corner mailbox. She checked her mailbox daily, hoping for a letter from her son.
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.
According to the post, at about 8:30 p.m. on Sunday, police responded to a residence in the 900 block of Marion Avenue for a report of a threatening letter containing antisemitic comments in their mailbox. Joseph States, Chicago Tribune, 16 June 2025 The mailbox, which surprisingly pops up from a landscape of sugar-white sand and sea oats swaying in the wind, creates a scene straight from a movie. Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 21 May 2025 What's next: Residents who filed should keep an eye on the mailbox for an envelope from the Hillsborough County Surtax Settlement Program. Yacob Reyes, Axios, 5 May 2025 Black widows and brown widows are usually found in wood piles, garages, around mailboxes, and in areas of the home that aren’t commonly cleaned. Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 14 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for mailbox

Word History

First Known Use

1868, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of mailbox was in 1868

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Cite this Entry

“Mailbox.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mailbox. Accessed 8 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

mailbox

noun
mail·​box ˈmā(ə)l-ˌbäks How to pronounce mailbox (audio)
1
: a public box in which to place outgoing mail
2
: a private box (as on a house) for the delivery of incoming mail
3
: a computer file in which email is collected

More from Merriam-Webster on mailbox

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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