box oneself into a corner

English

Pronunciation

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Verb

box oneself into a corner (third-person singular simple present boxes oneself into a corner, present participle boxing oneself into a corner, simple past and past participle boxed oneself into a corner)

1. (idiomatic) To create a predicament or problem for oneself; to do something that leaves one with no good alternatives or solutions.
   • 2012 May 15, Scott Tobias, “Film: Reviews: The Dictator”, in The Onion AV Club‎^[1]:

     Brüno was a case of diminishing returns, intermittently amusing but not nearly as bracing or funny as Borat—it didn’t help that Brüno was the most thinly conceived of all his Da Ali G Show characters—and the lead-up to Baron Cohen’s new comedy, The Dictator, made it look like he’d boxed himself into a corner.

Synonyms

• back oneself into a corner
• paint oneself into a corner
• write oneself into a corner