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.
Cornered in an alley, the suspect surrendered and was found to have not only the rifle but also a pistol, extra magazines, a police scanner and a bulletproof vest, police said.
From Seattle Times • Jul. 5, 2023
Cornered into the state's eastern armpit by the Blue and South Mountains, the Lehigh Valley is named after the titular Lehigh River, which roars through and powers the metropolitan area of more than 860,000 residents.
From Salon • Apr. 22, 2023
Cornered by the criticism, the I.O.C. finally responded.
From New York Times • Nov. 26, 2021
Cornered, the guy starts to spout ominous gibberish in the tried-and-true manner of many of Lovecraft’s half-mad, Elder-God-touched sailors and riffraff.
From The Verge • Sep. 9, 2019
Cornered like rats, they took small comfort from the odds.
From The Path of the King by Buchan, John
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.
