lockout

1 of 2

noun

lock·​out ˈläk-ˌau̇t 

: the withholding of employment by an employer and the whole or partial closing of the business establishment in order to gain concessions from or resist demands of employees

lock out

2 of 2

verb

locked out; locking out; locks out

transitive verb

: to subject (a body of employees) to a lockout

Examples of lockout in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Nashville’s lockout from the major categories year after year (aside from an outlier like Beyonce’s one-time genre dip) is bound to stir discussion going forward. —Chris Willman, Variety, 7 Nov. 2025

Commissioner Rob Manfred said in January that another lockout was a possibility. —Barry M. Bloom, Sportico.com, 4 Nov. 2025

Verb

Because incomes have not kept pace with housing costs, many younger Americans are locked out of homeownership. —Sydney Lake, Fortune, 4 Nov. 2025

Democrats are favored to win both gubernatorial races this year, so a GOP upset in either state would be a bad sign for the party currently locked out of power in Washington. —Zac Anderson, USA Today, 2 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1853, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1853, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for lockout

• about
• bailout
• blackout
• blowout
• breakout
• burnout
• buyout
• checkout
• closeout
• cutout
• devout
• dropout

Kids Definition

lockout

noun

lock·​out -ˌau̇t 

: the stopping of work or closing of a plant by an employer during a labor dispute in order to make the employees come to terms

Legal Definition

lockout

noun

lock·​out ˈläk-ˌau̇t 

: the withholding of employment by an employer in order to gain concessions from or resist demands of employees