to cage in
2
5.4
- phrasal verb
:
encerrar
- They are caged in by walls like the former Berlin walls; they aren't even allowed to travel freely in their own territorial lands.
- animals caged in
- feel caged in
- dog caged in
Examples
-
In the middle of the desert, real, fully furnished houses were built; tanks, airplanes, cars, trees, and shrubs were shipped in; rats, pigs, and dogs were caged in the blast basin, and military personnel became the event's "live" audience, its cast of extras, and test subjects.
Academic text (2016) -
Narrator 2: When Buck awoke, he was alone in a wooden cage in a train's baggage car.
Fiction book (2000) -
And she knew that was coming and she'd be kept in a cage in the church while waiting for all this to happen.
-
We know Harry has probably felt caged in lately.
Blog text (4) -
The prison bars are real; these dangerous extremist suspects were kept in a cage in the courtroom.
Blog text (6) -
Seeing how fast-paced this anime is, Asuna will be put back into her cage in less than half an episode.
Blog text (6) -
Her boss, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, has yet to deliver a promised 'full explanation' after police discovered 11 Laotian prostitutes caged in the garage of her Chappaqua, NY home.
Blog text (20) -
The bird was caged in a small enclosure to keep it safe from predators.
-
After the incident, the aggressive dog was caged in a secure area of the shelter.
-
The child felt caged in by the strict rules of the summer camp.
Synonyms
∞
1.0
To fasten something with a key so other people cannot open it
300
4.0
Put someone or something in a place where they cannot leave, for example a jail
178
4.2
Put someone in prison as a punishment or keep them locked up
108
2.1
To put someone in prison as punishment
70
3.9
To keep something inside so it cannot escape by closing or locking
46
6.1
To keep someone or something in a small space so they cannot move freely
40
1.0
To put a person or animal into a space with bars that keeps them from escaping
32
3.4
Put someone or something somewhere they cannot leave and others cannot reach
19
2.4
To put a barrier around land to mark or protect it
18
8.3
To keep people or animals in a small space so they cannot move freely
8
4.7
To stop a person or thing from moving, acting freely and making choices
7
5.8
To build a barrier around something to keep people in or keep others out
6
6.7
Surround a person or thing so they cannot leave
5
4.1
To put something into a strong box for moving or keeping safe
3
3.0
To surround an area with a barrier to keep others out
3
9.3
To put someone into a small locked room in a prison or police station
2
6.0
Keep animals or people in a small area
1
9.9
To lock someone inside a room or building against their will
1
6.4
To keep a person or animal inside a small space like a cage
To put an animal or person in a cage
To put small animals into a cage to keep them safe
Surround something completely so it cannot get out or move
Antonyms
How Confined
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'to confine' is directly and transparently derived from combining 'cage' (to enclose) with the preposition 'in' (inside boundaries); a learner who knows both constituents can readily infer that 'cage in' means to put or keep someone/something inside a cage or confined space. This follows a common verb + preposition composition pattern in English and similar constructions exist cross-linguistically, so it should be understandable to a B1 learner without prior exposure.
Etymology
Cage in comes from the clear image of putting something into a cage so it is shut in and cannot move, like an animal trapped behind bars. That's why it means 'to keep someone or something inside' or 'to restrict movement'.