1
confines plural
a
: something (such as borders or walls) that encloses
outside the confines of the office or hospital—
W. A. Nolen
W. A. Nolen
also
: something that restrains
escape from the confines of soot and clutter —E. S. Muskie
E. S. Muskie
b
: scope sense 3
work within the confines of a small group—Frank Newman
Frank Newman2
a
archaic
: restriction
b
obsolete
: prison
confined; confining
archaic
: border
1
a
: to hold within a location
Dikes confined the floodwaters.
b
: imprison
2
: to keep within limits
will confine my remarks to one subject
confiner
noun
Synonyms
Examples of confine in a Sentence
Verb
will confine my remarks to the subject we came here to discuss
the accused was confined until the trial could take place
Recent Examples on the WebJustin Worland, TIME, 20 Apr. 2024
Woodman struggled to find her footing outside the comfortable confines of school.
—Chris Wiley, The New Yorker, 16 Apr. 2024
And the very idea of losing weight outside the confines of sports or exercise is itself gendered, according to Emily Contois, an associate professor of media studies at the University of Tulsa.
—Callie Holtermann, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2024
The bacteria can travel outside the confines of the mouth and have been detected at many sites of infection and inflammation throughout the body.
—Claire Bugos, Verywell Health, 8 Apr. 2024
The headset also gives the show a way of stepping outside the confines of the detective genre and into an otherworldly space that has the recognizable markers of science fiction, like planets with multiple suns.
—Charles Pulliam-Moore, The Verge, 21 Mar. 2024
Driven by a 20-year quest to finish their mixtape trilogy, the documentary charts how the group of friends played outside the confines of the NBA yet still left an indelible imprint on the game forever.
—Alex Ritman, Variety, 5 Mar. 2024
Collins' leadership lessons extend beyond the confines of aerospace, offering invaluable wisdom for aspiring leaders in any industry.
—Dr. Ruth Gotian, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2024
Whether her character is raising awareness around a town-wide health risk or slaying strangers for the sake of love, Pedretti pushes beyond the confines of the nurturing role — and has fun with it too.
—Kalia Richardson, Rolling Stone, 25 Mar. 2024
John Cassidy, The New Yorker, 9 Apr. 2024
Dual-screen setups are normally confined to dedicated workspaces.
—Stackcommerce Team, PCMAG, 6 Apr. 2024
The men are confined up to 148 hours each week in narrow concrete cells, 4 feet wide, layers of drab-colored institutional paint chipping off the walls.
—Anita Chabria, Los Angeles Times, 4 Apr. 2024
But while Madoff's criminal case was pending, he was confined to his New York apartment on a $10 million bond that kept him out of jail while awaiting trial.
—Chris Mueller, USA TODAY, 2 Apr. 2024
While the Belgian didn't even make it to Matchday 1 after pulling up in training, the Brazilian at least ran out against Athletic Club in San Mames before being confined to the sidelines.
—Tom Sanderson, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024
Infamously, the mental health unit is where Darren Rainey died in 2012 after being confined to a hot shower, a case detailed extensively by the Herald.
—Charles Rabin, Miami Herald, 27 Mar. 2024
With Rear Window, Hitchcock and his collaborators miraculously craft an exhilarating, satisfying mystery-thriller while confining the protagonist to a single location.
—Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 27 Mar. 2024
In addition, Saturday was not a day confined to a single salient meteorological feature.
—Martin Weil, Washington Post, 23 Mar. 2024
Noun
Both Fink and Dimon root their analysis outside the confines of finance, explaining their positions as the right approach for humanity as well as for shareholders.
—Justin Worland, TIME, 20 Apr. 2024
Woodman struggled to find her footing outside the comfortable confines of school.
—Chris Wiley, The New Yorker, 16 Apr. 2024
And the very idea of losing weight outside the confines of sports or exercise is itself gendered, according to Emily Contois, an associate professor of media studies at the University of Tulsa.
—Callie Holtermann, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2024
The bacteria can travel outside the confines of the mouth and have been detected at many sites of infection and inflammation throughout the body.
—Claire Bugos, Verywell Health, 8 Apr. 2024
The headset also gives the show a way of stepping outside the confines of the detective genre and into an otherworldly space that has the recognizable markers of science fiction, like planets with multiple suns.
—Charles Pulliam-Moore, The Verge, 21 Mar. 2024
Driven by a 20-year quest to finish their mixtape trilogy, the documentary charts how the group of friends played outside the confines of the NBA yet still left an indelible imprint on the game forever.
—Alex Ritman, Variety, 5 Mar. 2024
Collins' leadership lessons extend beyond the confines of aerospace, offering invaluable wisdom for aspiring leaders in any industry.
—Dr. Ruth Gotian, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2024
Whether her character is raising awareness around a town-wide health risk or slaying strangers for the sake of love, Pedretti pushes beyond the confines of the nurturing role — and has fun with it too.
—Kalia Richardson, Rolling Stone, 25 Mar. 2024
Verb
But, if the polls are accurate, negative feelings about the economy aren’t confined to Republicans.
—John Cassidy, The New Yorker, 9 Apr. 2024
Dual-screen setups are normally confined to dedicated workspaces.
—Stackcommerce Team, PCMAG, 6 Apr. 2024
The men are confined up to 148 hours each week in narrow concrete cells, 4 feet wide, layers of drab-colored institutional paint chipping off the walls.
—Anita Chabria, Los Angeles Times, 4 Apr. 2024
But while Madoff's criminal case was pending, he was confined to his New York apartment on a $10 million bond that kept him out of jail while awaiting trial.
—Chris Mueller, USA TODAY, 2 Apr. 2024
While the Belgian didn't even make it to Matchday 1 after pulling up in training, the Brazilian at least ran out against Athletic Club in San Mames before being confined to the sidelines.
—Tom Sanderson, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024
Infamously, the mental health unit is where Darren Rainey died in 2012 after being confined to a hot shower, a case detailed extensively by the Herald.
—Charles Rabin, Miami Herald, 27 Mar. 2024
With Rear Window, Hitchcock and his collaborators miraculously craft an exhilarating, satisfying mystery-thriller while confining the protagonist to a single location.
—Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 27 Mar. 2024
In addition, Saturday was not a day confined to a single salient meteorological feature.
—Martin Weil, Washington Post, 23 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'confine.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Confine.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/confine. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
confine
transitive verb
con·fine
kən-ˈfīn 
confined; confining
: to keep from leaving accustomed quarters (as one's room or bed) under pressure of infirmity, childbirth, or detention
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