lock 1 of 2

verb

Definition of locknext
1
as in to latch

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words
2
as in to wrap

Related Words

lock

2 of 2

noun

as in certainty
one that is certain to succeed the governor is regarded as a lock for his party's presidential nomination

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of lock
Verb
Most of the armrest tweaks either lock with a lever pull or click firmly into place. — Will Greenwald, PC Magazine, 9 July 2026 Its weightless-yet-revitalizing feel is thanks to moisturizing squalane, Japanese lemon balm and sunflower seed wax, which calm inflammation, improve the skin barrier, and lock in hydration. — Grace Scollo, InStyle, 4 July 2026
Noun
Authorities also closed the bridges over the nearby Kieldrecht Lock, which is one of two locks that give vessels access to the docks from the Scheldt River, and urged people to avoid the area around MPET’s Quay 1742. — Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 15 July 2026 Offers three-credit-bureau monitoring, VPN, dark web monitoring, password manager, email aliases and instant credit lock. — Brian Sloan,dan Avery, CNBC, 15 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for lock
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lock
  1. latch
  2. wrap
  3. certainty
  4. shut
  5. fold
  6. slam dunk
  7. bolt
  8. twine
Verb
  • The latest report paints a picture of a manufacturing industry that is still latched to legacy systems, with an eagerness to dabble in AI, but with second thoughts about fully committing to it.
    — Roy Stephen Canivel, Footwear News, 16 July 2026
  • When hand recounts are conducted, election deniers latch onto hand-count methodology and observers to allege the process was also rigged.
    — The Denver Post Editorial Board, Denver Post, 7 July 2026
Definition of latch
Verb
  • Police say the mother wrapped a metal chain around the child's waist, secured the other end to the property's fence and left her there before driving away.
    — Ivan Taylor, CBS News, 14 July 2026
  • Grace most recently wrapped the new Amazon MGM feature film Fiona, starring as the titular role.
    — Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 14 July 2026
Definition of wrap
Noun
  • The move also aims to provide greater certainty around component supply and pricing for future vehicle programs.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 16 July 2026
  • On a website description of a Clear Creek rafting trip, one major rafting company has included a section describing the current lack of certainty around flows this year and suggested a trip elsewhere.
    — Elise Schmelzer, Denver Post, 16 July 2026
Definition of certainty
Verb
  • The glasses come with a hard-shell snap-shut case and a green USB-C cable.
    — Will Greenwald, PC Magazine, 10 July 2026
  • The update followed a high-stakes boardroom showdown with the group's supervisory board on Thursday and comes after reports that the company is weighing up shutting four German factories and implementing as many as 100,000 job cuts.
    — Sam Meredith, CNBC, 10 July 2026
Definition of shut
Verb
  • England folded, Norway won 2-0, and ended up topping the group and going to their first World Cup since 1938.
    — Jack Pitt-Brooke, New York Times, 11 July 2026
  • Across the aisle on the entry side, the compact kitchen block equips trailer cooks with a dual-burner gas stove with hard lid, rectangular sink, 59-L fridge and two wing-like worktops - one that folds down and one that removes and stores away.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 11 July 2026
Definition of fold
Noun
  • In addition to an overtime 3-pointer, Wheeler’s performance was also highlighted by a running slam dunk in the fourth.
    — Jason Beede, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 July 2026
  • Latin America, Australia/NZ, France, Germany and the UK are the slam dunks for Moana.
    — Anthony D'Alessandro, Deadline, 7 July 2026
Definition of slam dunk
Verb
  • View gallery - 7 images A robot that swims like a diving bird and then flies like, well, a bird, sounds like the setup for two different machines bolted together.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 13 July 2026
  • Heat-tolerant varieties, such as ‘Malabar’ or ‘New Zealand,’ are known for being slow to bolt.
    — SJ McShane, Martha Stewart, 10 July 2026
Definition of bolt
Verb
  • Grief and love and infatuation and resiliency are all twined together to create a story that feels so grounded in reality.
    — Katherine Polcari, Southern Living, 19 June 2026
  • Up high, fresh laundry quivers in the breeze like bunting, pegged precariously to twine stretched taut between windows.
    — Esme Nicholson, NPR, 3 June 2026
Definition of twine

Phrases Containing lock

Browse Nearby Words

loci classici
lock
lockbox
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Lock.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lock. Accessed 17 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on lock

Nglish: Translation of lock for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about lock

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of obdurate

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 17
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
child-detective
Spot the Misspelled Word July 2026 Those little red underlines can't help you now...
See All