Idiom:  boxed in

Man sitting inside a box illustrates the concept of the idiom that being boxed in feels as if you are restricted with limited options.

Meaning

boxed in:  

  • feeling restricted or stuck due to one's limited options

Example sentences

— Sandra felt boxed in after having her third child because she couldn't afford child care.

— Once I started working for myself as a freelancer I didn't feel so boxed in about what type of clients I could work with.

— I got my degree in accounting some I'm really boxed in to jobs in finance and I hate it.

— A month after I got engaged, I started to feel really boxed in to a boring family life and realized I wasn't quite ready for marriage.

— Be careful about specifying a salary before a job offer or you could get boxed in to a lower figure than you could negotiate once they decide they really want to hire you.

— Mom, don't worry I won't be boxed in to being a corporate lawyer! I could go into teaching, writing or even be a producer for a legal or news program.

— I used to feel boxed in as a wedding photographer until I joined Instagram and developed a wider audience for my portrait photography.

— I'm not moving back to my hometown after graduation because I feel so boxed in living in a small town with few things to do.

— I recommend you work a few years before you go to graduate school so you won't feel boxed in to a career you're not really sure you'll enjoy.

— I wish I'd never gone to college. Now I'm boxed in to working in a job I hate until I pay back my $60,000 in student loans.


Synonyms

  • locked into
  • tied down


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