outside the box
Americanidiom
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in an unconventional or original and resourceful way; in a way that defies usual limits.
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unconventional; original and resourceful.
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.
U.S. goalkeeper Matt Freese badly misplayed a ball outside the box and left Hans Vanaken an open net to shoot into.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 7, 2026
Their initiative paid off when defender Stjepan Radeljić held back Sergiño Dest just outside the box.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 2, 2026
He was so good, especially in the second game we played against PSG, in Paris, when he scored two goals from outside the box.
From BBC ● Jun. 22, 2026
New Zealand earned a free kick in the 45th minute just outside the box.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 16, 2026
She says, “Thinking outside the box is a skill. It means your mind is big and open, Mason. If you can think outside the box, you have no limits! That’s you!”
From "The Truth as Told by Mason Buttle" by Leslie Connor
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.
