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

Pasquini said people in her circumstances have been accused of wanting to shed their troubles by having their kids locked away. —Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times, 21 Feb. 2026

She’s almost been locked away from the world and under-exposed to people outside of her family. —Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 17 Feb. 2026

Swift pairs the cute dress with funky hair clips pulling her new brunette locks away from her face. —Meg Walters, InStyle, 6 Feb. 2026

If data is encrypted, it is supposed to be locked away from hackers, companies and governments alike. —Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 5 Feb. 2026

Rhymes for lock away

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