box in
phr. v..phr. v.. to surround someone or something so they cannot move or escape.
phr. v.. to restrict the movement or options of an agent by surrounding them physically or metaphorically.
I can't leave because another car boxed me in.
The defense managed to box in the star player, preventing him from scoring any points.
The company felt boxed in by the new government regulations and the aggressive expansion of its main competitor.
often used in the passive voice to describe a feeling of being trapped.
use the image of a physical box to help students visualize the lack of space or options; contrast with 'corner' which implies being pushed into a single point.
The cars boxed in me.The cars boxed me in.when the object is a pronoun, it must go between the verb and the particle.