as in certainty
one that is certain to succeed
the governor is regarded as a lock for his party's presidential nomination
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of lock
Jennifer Rodriguez, Kansas City Star, 3 Sep. 2025
If time permits, lock your home upon departure and disconnect utilities and appliances.
—Star-Telegram Weather Bot, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Aug. 2025
Peter Chawaga, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Sep. 2025
Their old policy had each teacher at Lincoln High School collect phones at the start of class in a lock box.
—Sequoia Carrillo, NPR, 1 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lock
Noun
Investigators discovered that the kids’ father would lock them in a bedroom all night and part of the day, PSP said.
—Jennifer Rodriguez, Kansas City Star, 3 Sep. 2025
If time permits, lock your home upon departure and disconnect utilities and appliances.
—Star-Telegram Weather Bot, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Aug. 2025
Verb
Wheeler was a lock to be the team's go-to starter for their first playoff game, and now that honor will likely move to Cristopher Sanchez.
—Peter Chawaga, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Sep. 2025
Their old policy had each teacher at Lincoln High School collect phones at the start of class in a lock box.
—Sequoia Carrillo, NPR, 1 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lock
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lock
Noun
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The softer labor market has made a 25-basis-point cut at the Federal Reserve’s September 17 meeting a virtual certainty.—
Bill Stone,
Forbes.com,
7 Sep. 2025
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With less than three minutes to play in regulation, the win seemed a certainty for USD.—
Don Norcross,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Typically said when someone copies a trend, latches onto a friend's obsession, or just teases in a playful way.—
Annabelle Canela,
Parents,
5 Sep. 2025
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That against-the-odds spirit is what the documentary crew latches onto as the thread tying their story together.—
Andy Meek,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Drape them over a doorframe, wrap them around a banister, or weave them through a patio railing for an instant touch of autumn.—
Toni Sutton,
PEOPLE,
5 Sep. 2025
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To store fresh dill leaves, wrap the cut dill stems loosely in a damp paper towel and store it in a resealable bag in your refrigerator’s crisper drawer.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
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This is a multilayered fact pattern that won’t be an investigatory slam dunk.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
5 Sep. 2025
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From slam dunks to signature scents, Shaquille O’Neal’s latest venture proves fragrance can be powerful, personal, and affordable.—
Kimberly Wilson,
Essence,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images Because on August 29, a federal appellate court shut the door on that doctrine.—
Brett Erickson,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Sep. 2025
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Lisbon’s City Council shut operations of other streetcars and ordered immediate inspections.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The Marswalker opens its fold-out front doors, and the S2 drives up into a central compartment before the doors close again to secure the S2 in place.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
4 Sep. 2025
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Foldable smartphones typically have one hinge that allows a user to fold the device in half.—
Arjun Kharpal,
CNBC,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Cilantro is well adapted as a cool-season herb because the high temperatures of summer cause the plant to bolt and form a seed head.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
5 Sep. 2025
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As a result, their best salespeople bolted and took jobs with their biggest competitor, Best Buy.—
Roberta Matuson,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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In the vein of Jim Ford and Tony Joe White, East’s voice is fully formed here, twining country rootstock with soul and gospel so tightly that the traditions feel inseparable, and rightly so.—
Will Hermes,
Rolling Stone,
24 June 2025
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At his best, McCann does an assiduous, subtle job of twining his metaphors through everyday life.—
Katy Waldman,
New Yorker,
19 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Lock.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lock. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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