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

The founders are subject to a standard 180-day lockup, which the lead underwriters, Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley, can waive early. — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 26 Oct. 2026

The company held a record-setting initial public offering in June, and Musk is not able to sell or trade the bulk of his stock until June 2027 because of lockup provisions. — Arkansas Online, 20 Oct. 2026

The defendants are being held in a county lockup with no bail. — Matthew Ormseth, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026

However, the stock has gotten past the first IPO lockup expiration in early August, which was feared to be a negative catalyst. — Natasha Abellard, CNBC, 7 Oct. 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