hem in

hem someone or something in

Fig. to trap or enclose someone or something. The large city buildings hem me in. Don't hem in the bird. Let it have a way to escape.

also hem somebody/something in

to surround someone or something They found themselves hemmed in by the crowd. The building was hemmed in by high walls.

1. To surround and enclose someone or something: Tall mountains hemmed in the valley. The troops hemmed their enemy in on all sides.

2. To restrict or confine someone or something: Don't hem me in with all these regulations. The police hemmed in the rowdy crowd.

Name	Pronounced	Usage
ÁFrica	-	Spanish
Agnese	ah-NYE-ze (Italian), AHG-ne-se (Latvian)	Italian, Latvian
Heike	HIE-kə (Low German, Dutch)	Low German, Frisian, Dutch
Harshada	-	Indian, Hindi, Marathi
Gervas	-	German, Ancient Germanic
Shirley	['ʃə:li]