lockup

noun

Save Word

lock·up | \ ˈläk-ˌəp

Definition of lockup

1 : jail especially : a local jail where persons are detained prior to court hearing

2 : an act of locking : the state of being locked

Synonyms Example Sentences Learn More About lockup

Synonyms for lockup

Synonyms

bastille,
big house
[slang],
bridewell,
brig,
calaboose,
can,
clink
[slang],
cooler,
coop,
guardroom,
hock,
hold,
hoosegow,
jail,
jailhouse,
joint
[slang],
jug,
nick
[British slang],
pen,
penitentiary,
pokey
[slang],
prison,
quod
[British slang],
slam,
slammer,
stir
[slang],
stockade,
tolbooth
[Scottish]

Examples of lockup in a Sentence

the firm conviction that juvenile offenders should never be held in adult lockups

Recent Examples on the Web Oak Lawn’s event included tours of the police station’s booking and lockup areas, explanation of police equipment and firefighter demonstrations. — Kimberly Fornek, Chicago Tribune, 3 Aug. 2022 Lawmakers in Louisiana passed new restrictions on the use of solitary confinement in juvenile facilities following an investigation by The Marshall Project, ProPublica and NBC News into harsh conditions in a youth lockup. — Annie Waldman, ProPublica, 24 June 2022 He was accidentally released from the county lockup on Dec. 11 after apparent confusion over paperwork. — Carol Robinson | Crobinson@al.com, al, 17 Dec. 2021 Perry, an epileptic, died six hours after suffering a seizure in the Milwaukee police lockup on Sept. 13, 2010. — Gina Barton, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 4 Feb. 2014 Williams is the fourth warden at the New York City lockup in 18 months, and the third person put in charge since a shakeup following Epstein's death in August 2019. — Michael Balsamo, Star Tribune, 8 Feb. 2021 Want loud exhaust with soft suspension and aggressive lockup from the diff? — Ezra Dyer, Car and Driver, 2 July 2022 The night before, 28-year-old Adam Jamal Isom, convicted of murder, was also found dead at the downtown lockup. — Carol Robinson | Crobinson@al.com, al, 12 Apr. 2022 Lawmakers in Louisiana passed new restrictions on the use of solitary confinement in juvenile facilities following an investigation by NBC News, ProPublica and The Marshall Project into harsh conditions in a youth lockup. — Erin Einhorn, NBC News, 22 June 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'lockup.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Learn More About lockup

Dictionary Entries Near lockup

lock turtle

lockup

lock washer

Statistics for lockup

Last Updated

12 Aug 2022

Cite this Entry

“Lockup.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lockup. Accessed 18 Aug. 2022.

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More Definitions for lockup

lockup

noun

lock·up | \ ˈläk-ˌəp

Kids Definition of lockup

: prison

lockup

noun

lock·up

Legal Definition of lockup

1 : a cell or group of cells (as in a courthouse) or jail where persons are held prior to a court hearing — compare house of correction, house of detention, jail, penitentiary, prison

2 : the tactic of arranging with a friendly party an option to buy a valuable portion of one's corporate assets in order to discourage a takeover by another party