inbox
Americannoun
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a boxlike tray, basket, or the like, as on a desk, for holding incoming mail, messages, or work.
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Computers. a folder for receiving and storing incoming emails or text messages.
noun
-
(on a computer) a folder in a mailbox in which incoming messages are stored and displayed
-
a US and Canadian name for in-tray
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of inbox
First recorded in 1955–60; in ( def. ) + box 1 ( def. )
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.
See Examples For:
You can sign up here to have it waiting in your inbox each morning.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 17, 2026
More than a month later, the results landed in my inbox.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
Sign up here to get great recommendations and a quick tour of the best of Slate in your inbox.
From Slate ● Jun. 24, 2026
I had spent the past couple of weeks corresponding with Raw Farm founder Mark McAfee, who’d filled my inbox with messages and PowerPoints extolling the virtues of his most important, and controversial, product:
From Salon ● Jun. 22, 2026
There’s an email from her waiting in my inbox.
From "Every Day" by David Levithan
He had hardly stepped on to the stage to address an event in London about his Invictus Games when the news started hitting inboxes on phones around the room.
From BBC ● Jul. 7, 2026
Altadena residents have flooded the inboxes and voicemails of state and local lawmakers, hoping the bill passes its first hurdle Wednesday when it’s up for a vote by two committees.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 1, 2026
The agent promotes itself as a way to clear inboxes, send emails, manage calendars, and even check in for flights.
From Barron's ● Jan. 27, 2026
The seed of a breakthrough might sprout if employees warm up their brains with some busywork, like clearing inboxes or organizing calendars.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 8, 2026
In some cases, they abandoned vital operations by clicking through a spreadsheet or ignoring requests in their inboxes.
From Salon ● Dec. 16, 2025
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.
