1 B1 neutral
To be confined indoors or in a place because heavy snow has blocked roads and exits.
"We were snowed in for three days after the blizzard and had to ration our food."
inseparable
snow in
B1 neutral inseparable transitive
To be prevented from leaving a place because of heavy snowfall.
In plain English
To get stuck inside because there is so much snow outside that you cannot go anywhere.
What does "snow in" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B1 neutral
To block a door, road, or exit with snow so that movement is impossible.
"The overnight snowfall had completely snowed in the village, blocking all the roads."
inseparable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
Snow causes you to be enclosed or trapped inside — fairly transparent.
Actually means
To get stuck inside because there is so much snow outside that you cannot go anywhere.
Usage tip
Almost always used in the passive: 'we were snowed in.' Very natural and commonly used in regions with heavy winters. Also used figuratively to mean isolated or overwhelmed in some dialects.
Words that pair with "snow in"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
house cottage village roads weekend blizzard
How to conjugate "snow in"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
snow in
I/you/we/they
3rd person
snows in
he/she/it
Past simple
snowed in
yesterday
Past participle
snowed in
have + pp
-ing form
snowing in
continuous
Hear "snow in" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "snow in" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Other ways to say "snow in"
Swap in when you want variety — tap a linked one to explore it.
be cut off be icebound be stranded be stuck be trapped
Keep exploring
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