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hem in

B2 neutral separable transitive
In simple words

To trap or surround someone so they can't go anywhere.

Literal meaning: To sew a hem all the way around a piece of fabric, enclosing its edges.

Meanings

1 B2 neutral

To surround a person, army, or place physically, preventing escape or movement.

"The opposing forces hemmed the battalion in on three sides, leaving only one path of retreat."

Grammar: separable
2 B2 idiomatic neutral

To restrict someone's freedom of action through circumstances, rules, or pressures.

"She felt hemmed in by the expectations of her family and longed to forge her own path."

Grammar: separable
3 B2 neutral

To enclose an area with natural or man-made features.

"The valley is hemmed in by steep cliffs on both sides, making it a natural fortress."

Grammar: separable
Usage notes

Used both literally (surrounded by physical barriers) and figuratively (restricted by circumstances, rules, or enemies). Common in military, political, and literary contexts. Almost always passive: 'hemmed in by'.

Commonly used with

mountains troops regulations enemies walls circumstances

Forms

Base
hem in
I/you/we/they
3rd person
hems in
he/she/it
Past simple
hemed in
yesterday
Past participle
hemed in
have + pp
-ing form
heming in
continuous

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