box in
phrasal verb
boxed in; boxing in; boxes in
: to surround (someone or something) and make movement difficult
The other bicyclists boxed her in and she couldn't move ahead.
—usually used as (be) boxed inWe were boxed in and couldn't get out of our parking space.
—sometimes used figurativelyI feel boxed in by all these rules.
Examples of box in in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
On Saturday, Holst felt the most stress in the batter’s box in the bottom of the fifth, when there were runners on second and third with two outs.
—
Steve Reaven, Chicago Tribune, 15 June 2025
The birds, found in a cardboard box in Medina’s car, are protected under international law, according to federal prosecutors.
—Miami Herald, 14 June 2025
As the Los Angeles Police Department moved to box in a group of protesters outside the city’s downtown federal building last weekend, several people suddenly rushed the line.
—Story Hinckley, Christian Science Monitor, 12 June 2025
Last week, Jane cried throughout her testimony, leaving the witness box in tears after recounting a seemingly never-ending freak-off during what was supposed to be a romantic, one-on-one birthday celebration with Combs in 2023.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 9 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for box in
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.
Steve Reaven, Chicago Tribune, 15 June 2025
The birds, found in a cardboard box in Medina’s car, are protected under international law, according to federal prosecutors.
—Miami Herald, 14 June 2025
As the Los Angeles Police Department moved to box in a group of protesters outside the city’s downtown federal building last weekend, several people suddenly rushed the line.
—Story Hinckley, Christian Science Monitor, 12 June 2025
Last week, Jane cried throughout her testimony, leaving the witness box in tears after recounting a seemingly never-ending freak-off during what was supposed to be a romantic, one-on-one birthday celebration with Combs in 2023.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 9 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for box in
Cite this Entry
“Box in.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/box%20in. Accessed 19 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share