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
Lehrer — who has maintained his innocence to Rolling Stone claimed he wasn’t bothered by the road ordeal — has been locked away in Dominica State Prison for over two years now.
—
Brenna Ehrlich, Rolling Stone, 26 Oct. 2025
The lethal removal of a bear is ineffective, and people should be trained to properly lock away food, Fleishman said.
—Ishani Desai, Sacbee.com, 25 Oct. 2025
Its durability is in large part due to Wilde’s sneaky indictment of the repressive culture that forced Dorian to keep his true self hidden, locked away in a closet.
—Samantha Allen, Them., 7 Oct. 2025
Edith Hessenberger, director of the Ötztal Museums, told Austrian news outlets that evidence from the materials, locked away under the ice for 80 years, matches almost exactly with historical records from the mission.
—Lauren Liebhaber, Miami Herald, 2 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lock away
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Brenna Ehrlich, Rolling Stone, 26 Oct. 2025
The lethal removal of a bear is ineffective, and people should be trained to properly lock away food, Fleishman said.
—Ishani Desai, Sacbee.com, 25 Oct. 2025
Its durability is in large part due to Wilde’s sneaky indictment of the repressive culture that forced Dorian to keep his true self hidden, locked away in a closet.
—Samantha Allen, Them., 7 Oct. 2025
Edith Hessenberger, director of the Ötztal Museums, told Austrian news outlets that evidence from the materials, locked away under the ice for 80 years, matches almost exactly with historical records from the mission.
—Lauren Liebhaber, Miami Herald, 2 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lock away
Cite this Entry
“Lock away.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lock%20away. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
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