acorralar
“acorralar” means “to corner” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
to corner
Also: to trap, to hem in
📝 In Action
La policía logró acorralar al sospechoso en un callejón.
B1The police managed to corner the suspect in an alley.
Los perros acorralaron a la oveja contra la valla.
B1The dogs trapped the sheep against the fence.
El incendio nos acorraló en la parte alta del edificio.
B2The fire hemmed us in at the top of the building.
to corner
Also: to pin down, to overwhelm
📝 In Action
El periodista acorraló al político con preguntas difíciles.
B2The journalist cornered the politician with difficult questions.
Sus deudas finalmente lo acorralaron.
C1His debts finally pinned him down.
Me siento acorralado por mis responsabilidades.
B2I feel overwhelmed/cornered by my responsibilities.
Subjunctive
Imperfect Subjunctive
Present Subjunctive
Indicative
Preterite
Imperfect
Present
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✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: acorralar
Question 1 of 3
Which sentence correctly describes someone being trapped physically?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
From the Spanish prefix 'a-' (to/towards) + 'corral' (an enclosed space for animals) + '-ar' (verb ending). It literally means 'to put into a corral'.
First recorded: 13th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is 'acorralar' a regular verb?
Yes, it follows the standard pattern for all -ar verbs in all tenses.
Can I use 'acorralar' for inanimate objects?
Not usually. It is almost always used for living things (people/animals) or abstract forces (debts, problems) that make a person feel trapped.
What is the difference between 'acorralar' and 'atrapar'?
'Atrapar' means 'to catch' or 'to trap.' 'Acorralar' specifically means you have surrounded them so they *can't escape*, even if you haven't physically grabbed them yet.