under lock and key

idiom

: in a room, box, etc., that is locked

The jewels are kept under lock and key.

The prisoner is being kept/held under lock and key.

Examples of under lock and key in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The researcher says that CDC guidelines direct employees to keep physical samples and accompanying personally identifiable information under lock and key, and only certain authorized staff are permitted to access them. —Caroline Haskins, Wired News, 17 Apr. 2025

While the Georgia harvest hasn't officially been announced yet—it's kept under lock and key by the Georgia Agriculture Commission and the Vidalia Onion Committee—experts anticipate a mid-April harvest. —Kait Hanson, Southern Living, 24 Mar. 2025

The move faced scrutiny at the time as other AI firms chose to keep their technology under lock and key. —Miranda Nazzaro, The Hill, 29 Jan. 2025

His attacker was not only under lock and key but, considering Matt threw him off a roof, in no condition to threaten anyone. —William Lambers, Newsweek, 7 Mar. 2025

Rhymes for under lock and key

• actuality
• angiography
• laryngoscopy
• ostracod
• predominately
• sensuality
• stochastically
• abc
• absentee
• addressee
• adoptee
• agouti