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.
That decision was made Thursday, hours after TMZ published a video from early 2023, in which Paul could be seen putting her on-off boyfriend Dakota Mortensen in a headlock before hurling metal barstools at him. Jami Ganz, New York Daily News, 25 Mar. 2026 The video starts mid-argument, as Mortensen records Paul yelling, hitting and kicking him, pulling his hair and holding him in a headlock. Taijuan Moorman, USA Today, 25 Mar. 2026 Not so much because Paul puts on-again, off-again partner Dakota Mortensen into a headlock and then pelts him with metal bar stools — sadly, this is a scene that would not be out of place on many reality shows — but because a small child is in the room. Culture Critic, Los Angeles Times, 21 Mar. 2026 In one, Taylor gleefully put One Battle After Another director Paul Thomas into a headlock after their film won best picture. James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 16 Mar. 2026 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 2 Apr. 2026.

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