fence in

1. 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 three climbed out of a bathroom window, scaled a fence in the backyard and banged on the window of a neighbor who called 911.

From Los Angeles Times

“The first man who, having fenced in a piece of land, said ‘This is mine,’ and found people naïve enough to believe him, that man was the true founder of civil society.

From Salon

An American, 47, reportedly tried to climb over a fence in Piazza del Colosseo, presumably to get a closer look at the Colosseum, before falling and impaling himself.

From Los Angeles Times

It is currently placed next to the reception and is fenced in by a protective barrier.

From BBC

The video shows Tubbs doesn’t immediately jump over the fence in pursuit of Brown, but instead shoots through the fence, fatally wounding Brown.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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