lockout

1 of 2

noun

lock·​out ˈläk-ˌau̇t How to pronounce lockout (audio)
: 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
The bureau doesn’t distinguish between strikes and lockouts, which are initiated by management. 2023 also saw the largest number of major work stoppages since 2000, when 39 were reported, according to the bureau. Cortlynn Stark, Sacramento Bee, 26 Feb. 2024 The museum in San Antonio and the Houston MFA were the first to reopen after the Covid lockouts. Brian T. Allen, National Review, 1 Feb. 2024 These controllers may not have the extra features of the pricier DualSense Edge, like hair-trigger lockouts or extra rear buttons, but the standard DualSense remains a great controller with unique haptics on games that support it. Antonio G. Di Benedetto, The Verge, 8 Nov. 2023 Lithuania’s super-proud basketball history includes beating the Americans at the 1998 world championships (the U.S. had no NBA players because of a lockout) and at the 2004 Athens Olympics. The Salt Lake Tribune, 31 Aug. 2023 As Major League Soccer’s lockout of its referees began Sunday, after news broke on Saturday that the Professional Soccer Referees Association rejected a tentative agreement with the Professional Referees Organization on Saturday, the attitude among many fans was indifference — or worse. Ian Nicholas Quillen, Forbes, 18 Feb. 2024 According to Thursday’s report, accommodation and food services saw more work stoppages than any other industry last year, accounting for 33.4% of the total strikes and lockouts. Wyatte Grantham-Philips, Fortune, 16 Feb. 2024 Others focus on a category — including Zelle fraud, fake Covid tests and computer lockouts — featuring first-person accounts from victims and information on how listeners can avoid such traps. Emma Dibdin, New York Times, 19 Dec. 2023 The Americans rally from a three-point deficit to tie the score, but Graeme McDowell beats Hunter Mahan in the final singles match. 2012 — The NHL cancels the first two weeks of the regular season, the second time games had been lost because of a lockout in seven years. Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 4 Oct. 2023
Verb
Once an attacker gains access to an account, the owner can be easily locked out by changing passwords and contact information. Dell Cameron, WIRED, 6 Mar. 2024 Maddox leaves the room completely naked and is locked out for four minutes before going back inside. Julia Gomez, USA TODAY, 26 Feb. 2024 These include steps like requiring multifactor authentication to help keep thieves locked out and lowering limits on daily transfers to make the scam less appealing to thieves looking for a big payday. Ashley Belanger, Ars Technica, 24 Jan. 2024 News of a workaround and a permanent fix is likely a relief to students who have been locked out of completing the Education Department's simplified 2024-25 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Medora Lee, USA TODAY, 21 Feb. 2024 Though hefty, the 80-liter case has military-grade handles that lock out at 90 degrees for a firm grip while lifting from car to campsite. Kevin Brouillard, Travel + Leisure, 21 Feb. 2024 Copas said the federal and state reports were filed late because the party was locked out of its reporting software, due to a hacking incident. Paul Egan, Detroit Free Press, 7 Feb. 2024 Last week, reports surfaced that some Pixel owners were being locked out of their phone's local storage, creating a nearly useless phone with all sorts of issues. Jon Brodkin, Ars Technica, 1 Feb. 2024 But following a redesign that was meant to simplify the application, undocumented parents are locked out of the online form. Silas Allen, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'lockout.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1853, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1853, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of lockout was in 1853

Dictionary Entries Near lockout

Cite this Entry

“Lockout.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lockout. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

lockout

noun
lock·​out -ˌau̇t How to pronounce lockout (audio)
: 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 How to pronounce lockout (audio)
: the withholding of employment by an employer in order to gain concessions from or resist demands of employees

More from Merriam-Webster on lockout

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