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 and his wife, Cilia Flores, are being held at a federal lockup on drug-trafficking charges in New York. —Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 24 Jan. 2026

If convicted, Soofer could face up to 20 years in federal prison and as many as 17 years in state lockup, officials said. —Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 23 Jan. 2026

These investments are typically illiquid and long-term, with multi-year lockups and limited redemption options. —Fred Hubler, Forbes.com, 20 Jan. 2026

Rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine is joining Venezuela’s president and the man charged with gunning down United Healthcare’s CEO in a notorious federal lockup in New York City. —Philip Marcelo, Fortune, 8 Jan. 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