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
Noun
within the confines of the city
outside the confines of the school walls
that's beyond the confines of my power as dean of the college
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 Web
David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 19 Nov. 2024
Bregman is a pull hitter who benefited from the friendly confines of Minute Maid Park.
—Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 31 Oct. 2024
Maria Isabel Barros Guinle, NPR, 20 Nov. 2024
For the most part, Israel’s response to Hamas’s devastating October 7 attack was confined to the Gaza Strip.
—Carrie A. Lee, Foreign Affairs, 19 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for confine 
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Noun
Gareth Evan’s Indonesian martial arts movie was set entirely within the confines of an apartment building and had an intense physicality to its incessant fight scenes like nothing else out there.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 19 Nov. 2024
Bregman is a pull hitter who benefited from the friendly confines of Minute Maid Park.
—Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 31 Oct. 2024
Verb
The virus was initially confined to the Amazon Basin.
—Maria Isabel Barros Guinle, NPR, 20 Nov. 2024
For the most part, Israel’s response to Hamas’s devastating October 7 attack was confined to the Gaza Strip.
—Carrie A. Lee, Foreign Affairs, 19 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for confine
Articles Related to confine
Dictionary Entries Near confine
Cite this Entry
“Confine.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/confine. Accessed 28 Nov. 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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