The word “box” seems simple, but it appears everywhere in English. We use it for physical objects, technology, business, sport, and even psychology.

In this episode, we’ll explore how this small word creates many useful expressions such as think outside the box, ticking a box, or box office success. By the end of the episode, you’ll understand how native speakers use “box” in everyday conversation, business contexts, and idioms.

Voice message from Marta from Poland who has been ‘thinking outside the box’.

Vocabulary and collocations with the word box

Search box (on website or blog)
Cardboard/wooden box
A box of chocolates/tissues
A tool box
A gift box
Chat box
Chatter box
Email inbox

Jewelry box
Witness box
Pillar box
Shoe box
Airplane black box
A “black box” in tech/AI: A complex system where you see the inputs and outputs but don’t understand the internal workings.
Fuse box
A box office hit
A box set
To tick a box
To box, boxing (be a boxer)
Boxing Day
Boxer dog
To box (something) up
To box off (an area/space)
To drop (something) into a suggestion box
Unboxing a product

Idioms
To think outside the box
In the box seat
To be boxed into a corner
The idiot box
To be on the box
To box (someone’s) ears
To box someone in
To get/be on your soapbox (Speakers’ Corner in Hyde Park, London)
To open Pandora’s box

…and now it’s your turn to practise your English. When was the last time you had to think outside the box to solve a problem? Do you think social media boxes us in by only showing us things we already agree with?

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In next week’s episode: Arctic vs Antarctica: What Makes the Poles So Different?

The music in this podcast is by Pitx. The track is called ‘See You Later’