pen in

phrase

: to prevent (someone or something) from moving beyond a particular area

The prisoners were penned in by a high fence.

—often used figuratively

She felt penned in by their relationship.

Examples of pen in in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Somehow, Sanchez talked his way out of the Box and attended the two-day gathering at Otisville Correctional Facility, a medium-security pen in mid-state New York. — Rufus Walker, Rolling Stone, 28 June 2026

The Sharpie executive offered to make a pen in black and paint the White House on it and even his signature in gold. — Bart Jansen, USA Today, 27 Mar. 2026

All the girls are now wearing little black shades and flipping their hair about maniacally with a pen in their mouth, while their boyfriends are in backwards Kangol flat-caps and riding bicycles. — Daisy Jones, Vogue, 26 Mar. 2026

Alina Sadibekova, a junior at the magnet medical school, sat under native oak trees, breathing in the soil-rich air with a pen in hand. — Los Angeles Times, 9 Feb. 2026

Rhymes for pen in

• pennon
• rennin
• tenon