lockup

noun

lock·​up ˈläk-ˌəp 

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 of lockup

• jail
• prison
• penitentiary

Examples of lockup in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples on the Web

He’s being held at a federal lockup in Brooklyn. —Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 20 Feb. 2026

For the weeks leading up to the Games, the NHL also aired an Olympics promo during games that featured a similar logo lockup. —Eben Novy-Williams, Sportico.com, 19 Feb. 2026

Outside of lockup, Black and brown children are being traumatized daily by the fear that they or their parents will be taken or even killed by federal agents. —Los Angeles Times, 6 Feb. 2026

Owners reported sudden deceleration, downshifting, and temporary rear wheel lockups in 2015-2017 models. —Jamie L. Lareau, USA Today, 4 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1746, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for lockup

• backup
• blowup
• breakup
• buildup
• checkup
• cleanup
• holdup
• hookup
• lineup
• makeup
• markup
• pickup

Kids Definition

lockup

noun

lock·​up -ˌəp 

: prison sense 2, jail

Legal Definition

lockup

noun

lock·​up

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