Meaning & use
snowed in
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“snowed in” is a form of “snow in”.
Meanings
adjectiveafter a verb
Unable to leave a place because heavy snow blocks the roads or paths.
Grammar: Follows be or get: we are snowed in.
Patterns
- be snowed in
- get snowed in
We were snowed in for three days at the cabin.
The village got snowed in after the blizzard.
They are snowed in and cannot reach the shop.
phrasephrasal verb
Said when snow has covered the exits so that people cannot go out.
Grammar: Used passively: they were snowed in.
Patterns
- something is snowed in
The mountain lodge was snowed in all weekend.
The whole street was snowed in by morning.
The farm is snowed in each January.
Common combinations
- get snowed in
- Skiers often get snowed in at the lodge.
- be snowed in for days
- We were snowed in for days.
- completely snowed in
- The cottage was completely snowed in.
- snowed in at home
- I was snowed in at home with a good book.
- snowed in together
- We were snowed in together for the holidays.
Synonyms and how they differ
- snowbound
- Snowbound is a single adjective with the same sense and sounds slightly more literary.
- stranded
- Stranded means stuck anywhere, while snowed in specifically names snow as the cause.
- trapped
- Trapped is stronger and suggests danger, while snowed in is often mild.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: snowed in or snowed under?
snowed in vs snowed under
Snowed under means having far too much work, not being blocked by snow.
Practice
After the blizzard, the family was ____ and could not drive to town.
Choose one answer.
Snowed in means trapped at home by snow. Snowed under means overloaded with work, and the other options do not fit.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “snowed in”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.