pen in

idiom

: 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 Today’s women filmmakers are calling the shots, whether with a movie camera on their shoulder, a pen in their hand, an idea in their head, or a computer and a desk at their feet. Matthew Carey, Deadline, 16 Sep. 2024 In 2023 the company began to experiment with corralling sargassum inside a 150-square-meter pen in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, a small island nation on the eastern edge of the Caribbean. Bywarren Cornwall, science.org, 29 Aug. 2024 According to McDonald, the couple allegedly kept the 6-year-old boy confined to a pen in a corner of the couple’s bedroom, where he was left to try to sleep on a wooden slat measuring 11 inches by 36 inches. Nicole Acosta, Peoplemag, 12 Aug. 2024 Throwing his pen in visible frustration, the judge rested his head in his hand, while Harris parked. Emily Palmer, Peoplemag, 7 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for pen in 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pen in.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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Cite this Entry

“Pen in.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pen%20in. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

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