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
This year students' phones will be locked away for the entire day, not just class time.
—
Sequoia Carrillo, NPR, 1 Sep. 2025
Public defibrillators are often locked away in buildings or overlooked in emergencies.
—New Atlas, 28 Aug. 2025
The rest belongs to foreign governments, other central banks, and official international organizations, who trust the Fed to keep it locked away 80 feet below street level.
—Rachel Barber, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2025
Whatever secrets the Carruthers still held — how the ship sank, what the last moments might have been like for the crew and who might be still aboard — would remain locked away and left to conjecture.
—Frank Witsil, Freep.com, 25 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lock away
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Sequoia Carrillo, NPR, 1 Sep. 2025
Public defibrillators are often locked away in buildings or overlooked in emergencies.
—New Atlas, 28 Aug. 2025
The rest belongs to foreign governments, other central banks, and official international organizations, who trust the Fed to keep it locked away 80 feet below street level.
—Rachel Barber, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2025
Whatever secrets the Carruthers still held — how the ship sank, what the last moments might have been like for the crew and who might be still aboard — would remain locked away and left to conjecture.
—Frank Witsil, Freep.com, 25 Aug. 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 8 Sep. 2025.
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