sandbox

[ sand-boks ]

noun

1. a box or receptacle for holding sand, especially one large enough for children to play in.
2. Computers. an environment in which software developers or editors can create and test new content, separate from other content in the project (often used attributively):

   sandbox web design;

   New features are tested and critiqued in the demo sandbox.

adjective

1. Digital Technology. noting or relating to a genre of video game with a nonlinear structure that allows players to roam freely.

sandbox

/ ˈsændˌbɒks /

noun

1. a container on a railway locomotive from which sand is released onto the rails to assist the traction
2. a box with sand shaped for moulding metal
3. a container of sand for small children to play in
4. computing a protected environment in which an untrusted program may be run without affecting other parts of the system

Word History and Origins

Origin of sandbox¹

First recorded in 1565–75; sand + box ¹

Example Sentences

“This citation of the neighboring property owner validates what we have been saying from the start: The beach cannot and should not be treated as a personal sandbox.”

From Los Angeles Times

But what Vance's special sandbox of alt-right dudes shares is this bottomless sense of grievance, which they mistake for a manly virtue, instead of a sign of arrested development.

From Salon

Not because it hasn’t sprung from a sandbox, but because it’s such a facile and specious argument: Why, Trump demands, hasn’t Harris already accomplished all that she is promising on the campaign trail?

From Los Angeles Times

It just means that you get an opportunity to play in sandboxes that you may not have otherwise.

From Salon

Hammer acknowledged that his once-thriving acting career is “nowhere now” but said he is hoping to get back into the industry by creating his “own sandbox” and writing a screenplay.

From Los Angeles Times