cornered
Americanadjective
-
having corners (usually used in combination).
a six-cornered room.
-
having a given number of positions; sided (usually used in combination).
a four-cornered debate.
-
forced into an awkward, embarrassing, or inescapable position.
a cornered debater; a cornered fox.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of cornered
Middle English word dating back to 1300–50; see origin at corner, -ed 3
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Prime Video has cornered the market on young-adult fiction, catering to a massive audience of women and girls who want to escape into love stories.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 18, 2026
Christ was cornered — pay taxes to Rome, or be branded a traitor — and so he turned the trap into a statement about the limits of power.
From Salon ● Jul. 18, 2026
D-Wave has cornered the market for annealing quantum systems, which are tailored to optimization problems.
From Barron's ● Jun. 1, 2026
We’re frankly confused how Auchincloss cornered himself into this one.
From Slate ● May 30, 2026
Once she had him cornered in the tiny scullery off the kitchen, she started.
From "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
