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
Campaign ads, showing images of flash-mob robberies, promised voters that harsher penalties would put an end to basic items being locked away in display cases and funnel people repeatedly arrested for drug offenses in treatment.
—
Kelly Davis, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Nov. 2025
The shop has a selection of over 100,000 books, including a collection so rare that the shop owners keep them locked away in the former bank vault.
—Cat Sposato, Travel + Leisure, 4 Nov. 2025
While many pieces were previously exhibited at the cramped century-old Egyptian Museum in downtown Cairo, some items remained locked away in storage.
—Ayat Al-Tawy, ABC News, 2 Nov. 2025
Lehrer — who has maintained his innocence to Rolling Stone claimed he wasn’t bothered by the road ordeal — has been locked away in Dominica State Prison for over two years now.
—Brenna Ehrlich, Rolling Stone, 26 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lock away
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Kelly Davis, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Nov. 2025
The shop has a selection of over 100,000 books, including a collection so rare that the shop owners keep them locked away in the former bank vault.
—Cat Sposato, Travel + Leisure, 4 Nov. 2025
While many pieces were previously exhibited at the cramped century-old Egyptian Museum in downtown Cairo, some items remained locked away in storage.
—Ayat Al-Tawy, ABC News, 2 Nov. 2025
Lehrer — who has maintained his innocence to Rolling Stone claimed he wasn’t bothered by the road ordeal — has been locked away in Dominica State Prison for over two years now.
—Brenna Ehrlich, Rolling Stone, 26 Oct. 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 9 Nov. 2025.
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