box up

To put things into boxes, often for storage or moving.

• Please box up these toys.
• We boxed up our clothes before moving.
• Have you boxed the dishes up yet?

How to use it: box up something / box something up (We boxed our books up yesterday.); box it/them up (Please box them up for the move.)

Similar words: pack, box

Opposites: unpack

Common phrases: box up something, box something up

To keep someone in a small space where they cannot move freely.

• They boxed the prisoners up in small cells.
• We were boxed up indoors throughout the storm.
• She hated being boxed up in that narrow room.

How to use it: be boxed up in somewhere (We were boxed up in a tiny cabin.)

Similar words: confine, shut in

Opposites: release

Common phrases: box someone up, box up prisoners

To mix dice so players can choose which ones to use.

• The dealer boxed up the dice.
• Box the dice up before we choose.
• They boxed up several dice for the gamblers to select.

How to use it: box up something / box something up (The dealer boxed the dice up before the players chose.)

Similar words: mix, shuffle

Common phrases: box up dice, box the dice up