lockout

1 of 2

noun

lock·​out ˈläk-ˌau̇t 

: 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

Unless something dramatic changes, baseball is headed for another lockout. —Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 May 2026

While a lockout next winter is expected, talks are not likely to intensify until late February or early March 2027, when the possibilities of losing regular-season games and revenue near. —Ronald Blum, Fortune, 29 May 2026

Verb

There’s a slim but not impossible chance their tit-for-tat will spill into the general election; an Emerson poll released Saturday showed Becerra and Steyer as the top two candidates, a scenario in which Republicans would be locked out of the race entirely. —Ben Paviour, Sacbee.com, 31 May 2026

And as mortgage rates have risen, lower-income Americans have gotten locked out from the American Dream. —David Goldman, CNN Money, 29 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1853, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1853, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for lockout

• about
• bailout
• blackout
• blowout
• breakout
• burnout
• buyout
• checkout
• closeout
• cutout
• devout
• dropout

Kids Definition

lockout

noun

lock·​out -ˌau̇t 

: 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 

: the withholding of employment by an employer in order to gain concessions from or resist demands of employees