lockup

noun

lock·​up ˈläk-ˌəp 

1

: jail

especially : a local jail where persons are detained prior to court hearing

2

: an act of locking : the state of being locked

Synonyms of lockup

• jail
• prison
• penitentiary

Examples of lockup in a Sentence

the firm conviction that juvenile offenders should never be held in adult lockups

Recent Examples on the Web

Rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine is joining Venezuela’s president and the man charged with gunning down United Healthcare’s CEO in a notorious federal lockup in New York City. —Philip Marcelo, Fortune, 8 Jan. 2026

Maxwell came under extra security after Epstein had died by suicide in 2019 in a federal lockup in Manhattan, which was subsequently closed. —Erik Ortiz, NBC news, 6 Jan. 2026

In addition to the physical upgrades, federal authorities have tried to crack down on crime inside the lockup. —Michael R. Sisak, Chicago Tribune, 4 Jan. 2026

Prior to his move, Combs was being held in a Brooklyn federal lockup since his September 2024 arrest, first awaiting his trial and subsequent sentencing. —Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 31 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1746, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for lockup

• backup
• blowup
• breakup
• buildup
• checkup
• cleanup
• holdup
• hookup
• lineup
• makeup
• markup
• pickup

Kids Definition

lockup

noun

lock·​up -ˌəp 

: prison sense 2, jail

Legal Definition

lockup

noun

lock·​up

1

: a cell or group of cells (as in a courthouse) or jail where persons are held prior to a court hearing compare house of correction, house of detention, jail, penitentiary, prison

2

: the tactic of arranging with a friendly party an option to buy a valuable portion of one's corporate assets in order to discourage a takeover by another party