to fence
31
2.4
- verb
- /fɛns/
- The farmer decided to fence in the garden to keep the rabbits out.
- fence an area
- fence off land
- a fenced yard
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Watch on YouTubeAnd the starry skies above Don't fence me in.
- And the starry skies above Don't fence me in.
Examples
-
John cuts through a vacant lot to a trail running beside a fenced-in drainage canal.
Fiction book (1991) -
For the time being, they want to fence in all their land.
-
I had to fence them off one at a time.
-
I had to fence them off.
-
It's all fenced in, the entire compound.
-
- Want you to fence in the east paddock, the east boundary.
-
We had two pastures, both fenced, and the horses could be in either one of them.
Fiction book (2002) -
Our two arriving couples move on toward the entrance, passing a fenced tennis court on the left.
Fiction book (1998) -
The two horses were out in a field the old man had fenced off with brush and brambles.
Fiction book (1997) -
The driveway stretched for nearly a quarter mile, with white wooden-fenced pastures on either side.
Fiction book (2001)
Synonyms
49
3.9
Stop people from entering or leaving an area by blocking it
31
3.7
Surround something completely, often with a wall or fence
23
5.8
To block off an area with people or barriers to keep people away
22
6.3
Stop people entering or leaving an area by using police and barriers
13
3.0
To surround an area with a barrier to keep others out
10
6.4
To surround an area with a wall to protect it
6
3.7
Surround an area with a fence to stop people from entering
6
5.4
To put someone or something into a small space with bars to stop them moving freely
4
5.8
To build a barrier around something to keep people in or keep others out
3
1.8
To make a barrier of wood, metal, or wire around land to keep animals and people out
2
5.8
To hang cloth to cover or hide something
1
5.7
To enclose an area by putting up rails
1
3.7
To surround an area with bushes to make a living fence
1
9.1
To surround an area with a strong fence of wooden or metal posts for protection
1
5.8
Surround a place or person so they cannot move freely
1
6.7
To surround a place with rails or a fence for protection
To block a place with things to stop people from entering
Idioms
Phrasal Verbs
3
1.8
To make a barrier of wood, metal, or wire around land to keep animals and people out
Compounds
1
2.4
A wire fence with diamond-shaped holes used to surround yards or sports fields
- US
1
7.2
A small animal with scaly skin and a long tail that sits on fences or rocks in the US
- Specialized
1
7.1
A machine that sends electricity through a fence to shock animals or people who touch it
- Specialized
1
6.8
A small active lizard from eastern North America that often sits in the sun on fences or rocks
- Specialized
1
8.1
A common scaly reptile in western North America that basks on rocks and logs
- Specialized
1
6.8
A machine that sends electricity along a fence so it gives animals a small shock
- UK
A ditch with one side formed by a low wall that divides land without blocking the view
How Enclosed
Surface Forms
Etymology
Fence as a verb comes from the idea of defence or defend, meaning 'to protect' or 'make safe'. So to fence a garden is to put a 'defence' around it — to enclose and protect the area.