1 C1 neutral
To enclose a space or person by building walls around it.
"The old monastery garden had been walled in centuries ago to protect it from the wind."
separable
wall in
C1 neutral separable transitive
To enclose or confine a person, animal, or area by surrounding it with walls.
In plain English
Put walls all around something or someone so they can't get out.
What does "wall in" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 C1 idiomatic neutral
(Figurative) To make someone feel trapped or restricted.
"After years in the same routine, she felt completely walled in with no way to change her life."
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To build walls inward around something.
Actually means
Put walls all around something or someone so they can't get out.
Usage tip
Often used in architectural, historical, or figurative contexts. Used both literally (a courtyard walled in for security) and metaphorically (feeling emotionally trapped).
Words that pair with "wall in"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
garden courtyard prisoner city area space
How to conjugate "wall in"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
wall in
I/you/we/they
3rd person
walls in
he/she/it
Past simple
walled in
yesterday
Past participle
walled in
have + pp
-ing form
walling in
continuous
Hear "wall in" in the wild
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Other ways to say "wall in"
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