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

The New Jersey lockup where Agnello is incarcerated has housed some notable inmates over the years. — Philip Marcelo, Los Angeles Times, 12 Aug. 2026

That dynamic changed substantially last Thursday, when just over 911 million SpaceX shares became eligible for trading following the expiration of an initial lockup period. — Yun Li, CNBC, 12 Aug. 2026

He was sentenced in absentia after refusing to leave the courthouse lockup and attend the sentencing hearing. — Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 7 Aug. 2026

The lockup expiry is a liquidity event, the analysts explained, and so the big buyers wait for it. — Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 7 Aug. 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