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
All attendees obviously had phones locked away, while others sampled an incredibly fancy charcuterie spread.
—
Vanessa Franko, Los Angeles Times, 24 Jan. 2026
Throughout the entire process, the CO₂ is permanently locked away too.
—Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 17 Jan. 2026
But oxygen on Jupiter is mostly locked away in water, which condenses deep below the visible clouds, far beyond the reach of instruments in orbit around the gas giant.
—Samantha Mathewson, Space.com, 16 Jan. 2026
Firearms and weapons are best locked away somewhere safe where they can't be grabbed by a child or intruder.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 2 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for lock away
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.
Vanessa Franko, Los Angeles Times, 24 Jan. 2026
Throughout the entire process, the CO₂ is permanently locked away too.
—Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 17 Jan. 2026
But oxygen on Jupiter is mostly locked away in water, which condenses deep below the visible clouds, far beyond the reach of instruments in orbit around the gas giant.
—Samantha Mathewson, Space.com, 16 Jan. 2026
Firearms and weapons are best locked away somewhere safe where they can't be grabbed by a child or intruder.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 2 Jan. 2026
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 26 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
