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
To be locked away for decades was not, in his eyes, more humane than being torn apart in a public square—though Damiens himself might have had a different opinion.
—
Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 8 Dec. 2025
That’s because the downstairs has not yet been remodeled and offers a stark contrast with bright lights and with row after row of consumer goods on shelves, many of them locked away behind anti-shoplifting doors.
—Evan Clark, Footwear News, 8 Dec. 2025
The public interest weighs heavily in favor of protecting against highly valuable intellectual property being locked away and restricted from public enjoyment because of baseless legal claims.
—Jenna Sundel, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Dec. 2025
Fuchs explained that there's a reason Dick wanted to keep the box locked away.
—Christopher Rudolph, PEOPLE, 24 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lock away
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Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 8 Dec. 2025
That’s because the downstairs has not yet been remodeled and offers a stark contrast with bright lights and with row after row of consumer goods on shelves, many of them locked away behind anti-shoplifting doors.
—Evan Clark, Footwear News, 8 Dec. 2025
The public interest weighs heavily in favor of protecting against highly valuable intellectual property being locked away and restricted from public enjoyment because of baseless legal claims.
—Jenna Sundel, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Dec. 2025
Fuchs explained that there's a reason Dick wanted to keep the box locked away.
—Christopher Rudolph, PEOPLE, 24 Nov. 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 14 Dec. 2025.
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