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headlock

noun

head·​lock ˈhed-ˌläk How to pronounce headlock (audio)
: a hold in which a wrestler encircles an opponent's head with one arm

Examples of headlock in a Sentence

He had me in a headlock.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The victim then placed the person in a headlock and the two fell to the ground. Kansas City Star, 25 Nov. 2025 Does truth get falsehood in a headlock and pin it to the ground? Richard Stengel, Time, 24 Nov. 2025 Others were spit on, bitten, placed in headlocks and verbally threatened with violence. Sam Tabachnik, Denver Post, 26 Sep. 2025 Somebody’s now in a headlock, and there’s a surge of packed bodies moving in a swelling tide of shirt-tugging and shouting. Jonathan Terrell, Rolling Stone, 23 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for headlock

Word History

First Known Use

1876, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of headlock was in 1876

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Cite this Entry

“Headlock.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/headlock. Accessed 30 Nov. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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