box somebody/something ↔ in phrasal verb (see also box)

1. to surround someone or something so that they are unable to move freely:
Someone had parked right behind them, boxing them in.

2. feel boxed in
a) to feel that you cannot do what you want to do because a person or situation is limiting you:
Married for only a year, Connie already felt boxed in.
b) to feel that you cannot move freely, because you are in a small space

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲