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

Perhaps only a mutual agreement to lock away their phones can end the row captivating the nation’s capital and Internet all at once. —Shelby Talcott, semafor.com, 6 June 2025

Roxxi, a terrier, pitt bull mix, suffered abuse from being locked away from the rest of the world and knew nothing but the crate she was confined to. —Tj MacIas, Kansas City Star, 30 Apr. 2025

But with prices skyrocketing, some paleontologists worry that significant scientific discoveries are being locked away in private collections instead of advancing research. —Catherine Baab-Muguira, Quartz, 3 Apr. 2025

Others have pointed out that the policy does not address what happens in case of an emergency if phones are locked away. —Shoshana Dubnow, CNN Money, 2 Apr. 2025

Rhymes for lock away

• aaa
• adonais
• alleyway
• alumnae
• anime
• anyway
• arete
• attache
• baa
• beaujolais
• bouvier
• breakaway