lock away
phrasal verb
locked away; locking away; locks away
1
: to put (something) in a locked container, place, etc.
The jewelry was locked away in a cabinet.
2
: to put (someone) in a locked place (such as a prison) for a long period of time
lock away a criminal
The state locked their sister away in a psychiatric hospital.
3
: to keep (oneself) alone in a room or place for a long period of time
He locked himself away in his room while he studied.
He was locked away in his room while he studied.
Examples of lock away in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Some investigators made plaster casts of its prints, but those casts are top secret, probably locked away in federal vaults, Dalrymple said with a sly wink.
—
Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 20 May 2024
Advertisement Mackinnon now keeps the atlas locked away.
—Emily Alpert Reyes, Los Angeles Times, 20 May 2024
Most of the galaxy’s mass is locked away in a dark matter halo, according to the same release, meaning that it cannot be imaged and its presence is only detected by its gravitational effects on visible matter.
—Isaac Schultz / Gizmodo, Quartz, 17 May 2024
Now, new companies are selling something else: the ability of trees to lock away planet-warming carbon.
—Raymond Zhong, New York Times, 3 May 2024
For decades, the United States had locked away people deemed to be mentally ill in asylums.
—Greg Rosalsky, NPR, 16 Apr. 2024
Ebb Carbon’s process makes seawater more alkaline and locks away carbon dioxide but generates some acid waste.
—IEEE Spectrum, 26 Mar. 2024
For nearly 35 years, a one-of-a-kind art show was locked away in shipping containers and never viewed in the way its creators intended.
—Melissa Adan, ABC News, 2 Apr. 2024
Once ransomware uses encryption to lock away your files and data without a key, the losses can be as catastrophic as those in an uncontrolled fire.
—Neil McAllister, PCMAG, 31 Mar. 2024
Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 20 May 2024
Advertisement Mackinnon now keeps the atlas locked away.
—Emily Alpert Reyes, Los Angeles Times, 20 May 2024
Most of the galaxy’s mass is locked away in a dark matter halo, according to the same release, meaning that it cannot be imaged and its presence is only detected by its gravitational effects on visible matter.
—Isaac Schultz / Gizmodo, Quartz, 17 May 2024
Now, new companies are selling something else: the ability of trees to lock away planet-warming carbon.
—Raymond Zhong, New York Times, 3 May 2024
For decades, the United States had locked away people deemed to be mentally ill in asylums.
—Greg Rosalsky, NPR, 16 Apr. 2024
Ebb Carbon’s process makes seawater more alkaline and locks away carbon dioxide but generates some acid waste.
—IEEE Spectrum, 26 Mar. 2024
For nearly 35 years, a one-of-a-kind art show was locked away in shipping containers and never viewed in the way its creators intended.
—Melissa Adan, ABC News, 2 Apr. 2024
Once ransomware uses encryption to lock away your files and data without a key, the losses can be as catastrophic as those in an uncontrolled fire.
—Neil McAllister, PCMAG, 31 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'lock away.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near lock away
Cite this Entry
“Lock away.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lock%20away. Accessed 24 May. 2024.
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