shoebox

noun

shoe·​box ˈshü-ˌbäks How to pronounce shoebox (audio)
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 noun
a shoebox apartment
Since commercial real estate was cheaper, art galleries and Off Off Off Broadway theaters could spring up in shoebox storefronts.James Wolcott

Examples of shoebox in a Sentence

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.
At Leroy's gal pal's apartment, Billie starts looking through a shoebox of photos. Jordan Hoffman, Entertainment Weekly, 16 Mar. 2026 In the middle of the 45,000‑square‑foot warehouse, tucked between towering stacks of shoeboxes, there is a corner that stops people in their tracks. Abraham Nudelstejer, Dallas Morning News, 15 Mar. 2026 Each Beam unit is the size of a shoebox and weighs just 8 kilograms, and can be mounted on a utility pole or the side of a building. Margo Anderson, IEEE Spectrum, 4 Mar. 2026 Big fun will arrive in tiny packages at the eighth annual Dairy Block Petite Parade, which plays off Mardi Gras and features miniature floats built from a shoebox base, and pulled on wheels. John Wenzel, Denver Post, 26 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for shoebox

Word History

First Known Use

1838, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of shoebox was in 1838

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Shoebox.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shoebox. Accessed 19 Mar. 2026.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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