variants or in-box
plural inboxes or in-boxes
1
: a box or tray (as on a desk) for holding incoming interoffice mail
2
: a computer folder devoted to incoming email
One of my favorite rituals soon became scanning our email inbox, looking for your photographs … and reading the letters you sent …Amy Virshup

Examples of inbox 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.
Find previous questions here, and to get Atlantic Trivia in your inbox every day, sign up for The Atlantic Daily. Drew Goins, The Atlantic, 9 July 2026 Have the latest Reality Checks delivered to your inbox with our free newsletter. Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 9 July 2026 Another way to save is by joining the brand’s email newsletter to receive a welcome promo code that will arrive directly in your inbox. Jamie Spain, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 July 2026 Get Morning Squawk directly in your inbox CNBC's Morning Squawk recaps the biggest stories investors should know before the stock market opens, every weekday morning. Alex Harring, CNBC, 9 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for inbox

Word History

First Known Use

1958, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of inbox was in 1958

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Cite this Entry

“Inbox.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inbox. Accessed 15 Jul. 2026.

Kids Definition

: a receptacle for incoming letters between offices in an organization
also : a computer folder for incoming email

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