fence in

Idioms and Phrases

Also, hem in . Restrict or confine someone, as in He wanted to take on more assignments but was fenced in by his contract , or Their father was old-fashioned and the children were hemmed in by his rules . Both expressions transfer a literal form of enclosure to a figurative one. The first gained currency from a popular song in the style of a cowboy folk song by Cole Porter, “Don't Fence Me In” (1944), in which the cowboy celebrates open land and starry skies. The variant is much older, dating from the late 1500s.

Example Sentences

The latter demanded why Forsyth had presumed to fence-in the Government reserve.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• apprehend
• commit
• detain
• hold
• incarcerate
• jail
• lock up
• remand