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

An oversized raglan tee carries the co-branded Vowels x Le Coq Sportif lockup, while a technical long-sleeve top brings the collection’s floral motif across the shoulders. — Stephen Garner, Footwear News, 10 Sep. 2026

Traders spent the summer treating SPCX as a lockup-and-capex problem. — Jeff Kilburg, CNBC, 4 Sep. 2026

When fully deployed, the titanium lockbar moves directly behind the blade tang to establish lockup. — New Atlas, 3 Sep. 2026

Companies, remembering the worker shortages that followed the end of COVID-19 lockups, are still reluctant to let go of staff. — Paul Wiseman, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 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