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Glite Dictionary
to hem in

to hem in

6 6.7
Surround a person or thing so they cannot leave
  • phrasal verb
  • /hɛm ɪn/
translation icon : encerrar
  • The kids felt hemmed in by the tall fences surrounding the playground.
  • hemmed in from all sides

The subordination of all life to these systems that hem us in?

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Examples

  • The golem, hemmed in by tourists, makes the circuit along a narrow path.

    Fiction book (1996)

  • When he was on the bus, standing hemmed in by furs and backpacks, he thought of going to the police.

    Fiction book (1995)

  • Look, l have no desire to be hemmed in.

    Pal Joey (1957)

  • But for the guys on the ground, they often feel very frustrated by how hemmed in they are, You know, Yeah.

    Gregory B. Sadler - That Philosophy Guy

  • Hell, I don't like being hemmed in any more than you do, but here we sit.

    The Alamo (2004)

  • I don't want to talk about this, but they got me hemmed in.

    It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963)

  • "No wonder Dad felt hemmed in by the Kellys," I said.

    Fiction book (2001)

  • But the crowding fog hemmed her in, blocking off her options.

    Fiction book (1994)

  • No town, really, just a crossroad, a post office, and farms hemmed in by cornfields.

    Fiction book (2002)

  • The dark purple hills hem in the silver-green orchard and close off the horizon.

    Academic text (1993)

Synonyms

to surround
vsto hem in
∞ 1.7

To be all around a person or thing on every side

is all around very close and so restricts movement or freedom
to confine
vsto hem in
215 4.2

Keep someone or something within limits, for example in a small space

focuses on close surrounding rather than abstract limiting
to close in
vsto hem in
119 4.6

Surround or enclose a place by bringing things nearer from all sides

surrounds in place rather than focusing on the approach
to confine to
vsto hem in
106 4.8

To keep something within set limits, for example in a room or a topic

means close physical surrounding rather than limiting by topic
to corner
vsto hem in
93 4.9

To force a person or animal into a place they cannot leave

uses close surrounding rather than active forcing into a trap
to restrain
vsto hem in
86 4.6

Hold a person or thing so it cannot move freely

works by surrounding closely rather than direct holding or control
to lock in
vsto hem in
70 3.9

To keep something inside so it cannot escape by closing or locking

surrounds closely without necessarily using locks or seals
to jam
vsto hem in
46 3.2

Push people or things together so they cannot move easily

involves close surrounding rather than mere crowding or blockage
to besiege
vsto hem in
19 8.3

To surround a place with soldiers until the people inside give up

applies to close restriction generally, not only military action
to coop in
vsto hem in
  • Informal
18 8.3

To keep people or animals in a small space so they cannot move freely

describes close surrounding without implying only small cramped space
to box in
vsto hem in
8 4.7

To stop a person or thing from moving, acting freely and making choices

surrounds closely to restrict movement and freedom
to wall in
vsto hem in
7 5.8

To build a barrier around something to keep people in or keep others out

surrounds closely but is more general than wall building
to beleaguer
vsto hem in
3 9.5

To surround a place with soldiers to force it to give up

covers close restricting situations beyond military or harassment
to cage in
vsto hem in
2 5.4

To put someone or something into a small space with bars to stop them moving freely

surrounds closely without needing a literal cage
to circumvent
vsto hem in
  • Archaic
1 8.2

To surround an enemy to make them give up

is used for tight restriction in everyday situations, not conflict
to immure
vsto hem in
  • Archaic
1 9.9

To lock someone inside a room or building against their will

surrounds closely without the formal or archaic sense
to coop up
vsto hem in
  • Informal
1 6.4

To keep a person or animal inside a small space like a cage

surrounds closely without implying only cramped indoor spaces
to shut in
vsto hem in
5.1

Surround something completely so it cannot get out or move

surrounds closely but not always sealed completely
to tramell
vsto hem in
  • UK
9.9

To hold back or make it hard for someone to act freely

uses close surrounding to restrict rather than entanglement

Antonyms

to release
∞ 1.8

To let someone or something go free from being held

to liberate
104 4.3

Set someone free from prison or unfair control

How Restricted

to trap
919 2.6
to confine
215 4.2
to hem in
6 6.7
to encircle
33 3.4
to surround
∞ 1.7

Surface Forms

hem in infinitive
hemmed in past
hemmed in past participle
hemming in present participle
hems in third person singular

Morphology

hem + in

The particle 'in' signals enclosure, and there is a plausible compositional link if 'hem' is understood as 'to border or enclose', so part of the meaning can be inferred. However, 'hem' is low-frequency and often known primarily as the cloth edge, so the specific sense 'to surround closely' is not reliably predictable for a B1 learner without prior exposure.

Etymology

Hem in comes from sewing: a hem is the folded edge of cloth that keeps the fabric in. So to hem someone in imagines surrounding them with a tight border that stops them moving, meaning 'to restrict'.