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

However, if a company lacks substance and constantly requires cash, the euphoria can be short-lived, particularly after the lockup expires and initial investors begin to exit. —David Capablanca, Forbes.com, 28 May 2026

The necessary tools — screw guns, saws, hammers — aren’t easy to come by in San Quentin, California’s oldest prison; the lockup has a long history of violence, gang wars, executions and murder. —Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 27 May 2026

That decision found a lower court judge who had sided with Khalil and freed him from a Louisiana lockup lacked the legal authority to weigh in on the lawfulness of the detention. —Molly Crane-Newman, New York Daily News, 22 May 2026

The seasons passed with Nurul Amin in lockup, isolated by disability and differences in language and culture. —Dan Barry, New York Times, 12 May 2026

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