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TinaMr Posted 12 years ago
Vocabulary

Phrasal verbs

Are the phrasal verbs "hem in" and "fence in" interchangeable?
Thank you!
  

Top answer

When talking about physical enclosure, "fence in" literally refers to a fence and cannot normally be replaced by "hem in". For example, "the cattle are all fenced hemmed in". g.

— GPY

  • When talking about physical enclosure, "fence in" literally refers to a fence and cannot normally be replaced by "hem in".
  • For example, "the cattle are all fenced hemmed in".
  • g.
  • "we were hemmed in by trees" suggests a slightly claustrophobic feeling.
  • g.
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3 Answers
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When talking about physical enclosure, "fence in" literally refers to a fence and cannot normally be replaced by "hem in". For example, "the cattle are all fenced hemmed in". "hem in" tends to have more emotional connotations; e.g. "we were hemmed in by trees" suggests a slightly claustrophobic feeling.

Both can be used in a purely figurative sense (e.g. "I felt hemmed/fenced i
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Thank you, GPY! When a mother takes care of her baby and doesn't manage to go out, is it called "fencing in" or "hemming in"? I guess, both of them can be used but I'm not sure.
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TinaMrThank you, GPY! When a mother takes care of her baby and doesn't manage to go out, is it called "fencing in" or "hemming in"? I guess, both of them can be used but I'm not sure.
I would need to see a full sentence context. You could say that a mother felt "hemmed in" by her responsibilities to her baby, for example. "fenced in" is possible there too.
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