shoebox
noun
shoe·box
ˈshü-ˌbäks 
variants
or less commonly shoe box
1
: a box that shoes are sold in
a shoebox full of old photographs
2
: a small space and especially a small living space
The loft, almost an hour from her house by tube, is a shoebox with 18-foot ceilings, white and blue, with odds and ends of mismatched furniture …—
Michael Kimmelman
—often used before another nounMichael Kimmelmana shoebox apartment
Since commercial real estate was cheaper, art galleries and Off Off Off Broadway theaters could spring up in shoebox storefronts.—James Wolcott
James Wolcott
Examples of shoebox in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Kelly visited for a couple of weeks, and brought with him a stack of counterfeit bonds big enough to fill a couple of shoeboxes.
—Sean Williams, Rolling Stone, 2 Oct. 2023
The collection also featured the latest chapter in the brand’s collaboration with Adidas Originals, here in the form of charming bags tied around the waist and a purse in the shape of a shoebox.
—Liam Hess, Vogue, 20 Sep. 2023
In our shoebox of a dorm room, Vic’s head crept above the pillows.
—Bryan Washington, The New Yorker, 29 Aug. 2023
In video of the brazen robbery on the station’s site, one robber is seen calmly walking out with a trash bag overflowing with shoeboxes.
—Rachel Uranga, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2023
Anyone who lives in a shoebox apartment or even has a taste for order or minimalism (à la Marie Kondo) knows the struggle of storing straggler belongings in different nooks and crannies.
—Jacqueline Saguin, Good Housekeeping, 13 June 2023
If the teacher’s system is to collect them all in a shoebox?
—oregonlive, 3 Sep. 2023
For budding scientists, Ponder suggested fashioning together a solar oven, which can be as simple as a pizza or shoebox wrapped in foil.
—Sarah Bahari, Dallas News, 3 Aug. 2023
This is not the shoebox that comes along with the Nike/Tiffany Air Force 1, to be clear—Highsnobiety reports that only one box was created, and price is available upon request.
—Louisa Ballhaus, Robb Report, 7 Mar. 2023
See More
Sean Williams, Rolling Stone, 2 Oct. 2023
The collection also featured the latest chapter in the brand’s collaboration with Adidas Originals, here in the form of charming bags tied around the waist and a purse in the shape of a shoebox.
—Liam Hess, Vogue, 20 Sep. 2023
In our shoebox of a dorm room, Vic’s head crept above the pillows.
—Bryan Washington, The New Yorker, 29 Aug. 2023
In video of the brazen robbery on the station’s site, one robber is seen calmly walking out with a trash bag overflowing with shoeboxes.
—Rachel Uranga, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2023
Anyone who lives in a shoebox apartment or even has a taste for order or minimalism (à la Marie Kondo) knows the struggle of storing straggler belongings in different nooks and crannies.
—Jacqueline Saguin, Good Housekeeping, 13 June 2023
If the teacher’s system is to collect them all in a shoebox?
—oregonlive, 3 Sep. 2023
For budding scientists, Ponder suggested fashioning together a solar oven, which can be as simple as a pizza or shoebox wrapped in foil.
—Sarah Bahari, Dallas News, 3 Aug. 2023
This is not the shoebox that comes along with the Nike/Tiffany Air Force 1, to be clear—Highsnobiety reports that only one box was created, and price is available upon request.
—Louisa Ballhaus, Robb Report, 7 Mar. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'shoebox.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1838, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Dictionary Entries Near shoebox
Cite this Entry
“Shoebox.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shoebox. Accessed 5 Dec. 2023.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share