box someone in

box in

1. To physically block and thus prevent someone or something from moving from a certain spot. A noun or pronoun can be used between "box" and "in." Well, I guess I'm not leaving yet because that van is boxing in my car. All this junk is boxing in my tools at the back of the garage—I can't get to any of them. We need to move fast and box in the cat before she can escape again!

2. To limit one's options or cause one to feel restricted or stuck. A noun or pronoun can be used between "box" and "in." I'm a very versatile performer—don't just box me in as a comedic actress. You're only boxed in because your grades are so bad. If you'd been a better student, more colleges would have accepted you. I felt boxed in the moment the doctor told me I was pregnant.

See also: box

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

box someone in

tv. to put someone into a bind; to reduce the number of someone’s alternatives. (see also boxed in.) I don’t want to box you in, but you are running out of options.

See also: box, someone

McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.