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 figurativelyShe felt penned in by their relationship.
Examples of pen in in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Another facet of the court battle is that Congress specifically authorized the CFPB's work in statute, so advocates contend Trump can't erase it with the stroke of a pen in an executive order.
—
Bart Jansen, USA Today, 28 Mar. 2025
Some online videos also show people how many clicks to use on an autoinjector pen in order to get a microdose.
—Fran Kritz, Verywell Health, 21 Mar. 2025
Three men walked into the store a few minutes apart, walked around and asked the employees questions about the bulldog puppies kept in a locked pen in the back of the store, each worth $4,300, before staging the distraction, sheriff’s officials said.
—Lauren Penington, The Denver Post, 26 Feb. 2025
The researchers concluded that the rocks were not intended to mark a boundary, or croplands, or to help pen in livestock.
—Franz Lidz, New York Times, 21 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for pen in
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Bart Jansen, USA Today, 28 Mar. 2025
Some online videos also show people how many clicks to use on an autoinjector pen in order to get a microdose.
—Fran Kritz, Verywell Health, 21 Mar. 2025
Three men walked into the store a few minutes apart, walked around and asked the employees questions about the bulldog puppies kept in a locked pen in the back of the store, each worth $4,300, before staging the distraction, sheriff’s officials said.
—Lauren Penington, The Denver Post, 26 Feb. 2025
The researchers concluded that the rocks were not intended to mark a boundary, or croplands, or to help pen in livestock.
—Franz Lidz, New York Times, 21 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for pen in
Cite this Entry
“Pen in.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pen%20in. Accessed 5 Jul. 2025.
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