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
- uncornered adjective
Etymology
Origin of cornered
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.
A short time later Deranque was one of three nationalist activists who, having failed to get away, were cornered by the opposing group.
From BBC • Feb. 16, 2026
After authorities cornered the mountain lion in a tight area between two apartment buildings, the operation to remove it became a spectacle, with neighbors watching from windows and balconies, the outlet reported.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 28, 2026
In the decade before Ueda arrived in 2023, the BOJ cornered the government bond market to the point where no debt issues traded hands External link on certain days.
From Barron's • Dec. 17, 2025
In the decade before Ueda arrived in 2023, the BOJ cornered the government bond market to the point where no debt issues traded hands External link on certain days.
From Barron's • Dec. 17, 2025
“How did you get away from the skeletons in the generator room, anyway? You said they cornered you.”
From "The Titan's Curse" by Rick Riordan
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.
