inbox

noun

in·​box ˈin-ˌbäks How to pronounce inbox (audio)
variants or in-box
plural inboxes or in-boxes
1
: a box or tray (as on a desk) for holding incoming interoffice mail
2
: a computer folder devoted to incoming email
One of my favorite rituals soon became scanning our email inbox, looking for your photographs … and reading the letters you sent …—Amy Virshup

Examples of inbox in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Then follow the verification link sent to your inbox to complete registration. — The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 9 Oct. 2026 These can do everything from the boring — restaurant reservations and inbox triage — to more sophisticated tasks. — Nilay Patel, The Verge, 8 Oct. 2026 But the script that eventually landed in Kreiz’s inbox ultimately painted Mattel—and Kreiz himself—in a decidedly unflattering light. — Preston Fore, Fortune, 1 Oct. 2026 Requirement updates, redlined LOIs, post-tour notes stay in the inbox, which quietly becomes the firm’s Rolodex, database and institutional memory all at once. — Wesley D. Snow, Forbes.com, 25 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for inbox

Word History

First Known Use

1958, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of inbox was in 1958

Browse Nearby Words

inbounds pass
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inbreak
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Cite this Entry

“Inbox.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inbox. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

in-box

noun
ˈin-ˌbäks How to pronounce in-box (audio)
: a receptacle for incoming letters between offices in an organization
also : a computer folder for incoming email
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