Phrasal verb
box in
Definition
phrasal verb. to surround someone or something so they cannot move or escape.
phrasal verb. to restrict the movement or options of an agent by surrounding them physically or metaphorically.
Examples
“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.”
Examples
simple
“I can't leave because another car boxed me in.”
contextual
“The defense managed to box in the star player, preventing him from scoring any points.”
complex
“The company felt boxed in by the new government regulations and the aggressive expansion of its main competitor.”
Usage
often used in the passive voice to describe a feeling of being trapped.
Teaching tip
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.
Pitfall
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.
Phrasal verb
Particles
in
Separability
optional
Pattern
box + object + in
Synonyms
Antonyms
Grammar
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/box-in