追い込む
おいこむ · oikomu · JLPT N1 · verb-godan
to corner
🐑 追 (oi, chase) + 込む (komu, push in): chase and push into a corner
追い込む means chasing something until it is driven into a tight spot. Think of a shepherd's dog pushing sheep into a pen: oi chases, komu pushes in.
追 — 辶 (walk) + 𠂤 (small mound/heap)
Originally a semantic-phonetic compound: 辶 ('walk/movement') gives the meaning of going after something, while 𠂤 supplied the ancient sound. Early bronze inscriptions show it meaning to chase or pursue an enemy. The modern senses — 'pursue,' 'chase after,' 'retroactively' — all extend from this original idea of following in motion.