Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
to rail in

to rail in

6.7
To surround a place with rails or a fence for protection
  • phrasal verb
  • /reɪl ɪn/
translation icon : cerrar con vallas
  • The cemetery is railed in to prevent animals from entering.

Examples

  • They decided to rail in the playground for the children's safety.

  • They railed in the new playground.

  • He railed in his vegetable garden to keep out rabbits.

  • Can you rail in the garden area?

  • The garden was beautifully railed in to keep the rabbits out.

  • To enhance safety, they railed in the swimming pool with a secure fence.

  • The children played in the area that was railed in with colorful wooden barriers.

Synonyms

to enclose
vsto rail in
84 3.7

Surround something completely, often with a wall or fence

is narrower, referring to enclosing with bars or fence-type barriers
to wall
vsto rail in
41 6.4

To surround an area with a wall to protect it

is about lighter or open barriers such as bar or panel types
to fence
vsto rail in
19 2.4

To put a barrier around land to mark or protect it

is more specific about using narrow bar or similar barriers
to wall in
vsto rail in
7 5.8

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

uses lighter, often open barriers like narrow bars instead of solid walls
to fence off
vsto rail in
4 3.7

Surround an area with a fence to stop people from entering

shares that purpose but highlights use of bars or rail barriers
to fence in
vsto rail in
3 3.0

To surround an area with a barrier to keep others out

is similar but specifies using bars or fence-like barriers
to rail
vsto rail in
1 5.7

To enclose an area by putting up rails

is broader, using bars or other types of barrier
to rail off
vsto rail in
7.0

To separate people or part of a place by putting up a barrier

focuses on enclosing with narrow bar barriers rather than any barrier

Antonyms

to unbarricade
1 8.2

To remove barriers to make a place open again

How Enclosed

to seal off
47 3.9
to enclose
84 3.7
to rail in
6.7
to border
12 3.1

Surface Forms

rail in infinitive
railed in past
railed in past participle
railing in present participle
rails in third person singular

Morphology

rail + in

The meaning 'to enclose or surround with rails' is directly derivable from combining the verb 'rail' (to fence off/enclose) with the preposition 'in' (indicating inside or within boundaries). This is a transparent, compositional verb+particle construction following common English patterns, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents should understand the MWE.

Etymology

Rail in comes from the simple picture of putting rails around a place so it is kept in. So, to rail in something today means 'to enclose' it or 'to fence it in'.