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
No more locking away a wedding ring during vacations or skipping your favorite necklace on a night out.
—
Sixteen Ramos, USA Today, 16 July 2025
Perhaps, then, instead of feeding the jet, the silicon has been locked away elsewhere—such as in reservoirs of dust or even larger rocky objects that are deeper in the disk.
—Lee Billings, Scientific American, 15 July 2025
While the paper ballot is safely locked away to prevent any tampering, the ballot image and cast vote record are vital public information that the public can’t see.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 26 June 2025
The alternative is that Mars' atmospheric carbon must have rained out of the atmosphere and subsequently been locked away in the ground, in the form of carbonates embedded in sedimentary rock.
—Keith Cooper, Space.com, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for lock away
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Sixteen Ramos, USA Today, 16 July 2025
Perhaps, then, instead of feeding the jet, the silicon has been locked away elsewhere—such as in reservoirs of dust or even larger rocky objects that are deeper in the disk.
—Lee Billings, Scientific American, 15 July 2025
While the paper ballot is safely locked away to prevent any tampering, the ballot image and cast vote record are vital public information that the public can’t see.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 26 June 2025
The alternative is that Mars' atmospheric carbon must have rained out of the atmosphere and subsequently been locked away in the ground, in the form of carbonates embedded in sedimentary rock.
—Keith Cooper, Space.com, 2 July 2025
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 22 Jul. 2025.
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