1. past tense of boxhaul; to turn a sailing ship around by putting the helm hard alee and backing the sails, used especially when the ship cannot come about in the normal way
Usage: nautical; archaic

Examples

• The captain boxhauled the ship when the wind shifted unexpectedly.
• In heavy seas, the crew boxhauled the vessel to avoid running aground.
• The old sailing ship was boxhauled around the rocky point.
• When conventional tacking proved impossible, the sailors boxhauled the brigantine.