as in to jail
to put in or as if in prison
if they catch you, they're going to lock you up and throw away the key!
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in jail
a place of confinement for persons held in lawful custody
the firm conviction that juvenile offenders should never be held in adult lockups
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of lock (up)
Adam Reiss, NBC news, 30 Jan. 2026
They are being held together at an immigration lockup in Dilley.
—Elissa Jorgensen, Dallas Morning News, 29 Jan. 2026
These investments are typically illiquid and long-term, with multi-year lockups and limited redemption options.
—Fred Hubler, Forbes.com, 20 Jan. 2026
Rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine is joining Venezuela’s president and the man charged with gunning down United Healthcare’s CEO in a notorious federal lockup in New York City.
—Philip Marcelo, Fortune, 8 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for lock (up)
Noun
Garnett’s pivotal rulings came a day after a 35-year-old Minnesota man was charged with impersonating an FBI agent in an apparent attempt to spring Mangione from federal lockup in Brooklyn in a bizarre episode detailed in court documents.
—Adam Reiss, NBC news, 30 Jan. 2026
They are being held together at an immigration lockup in Dilley.
—Elissa Jorgensen, Dallas Morning News, 29 Jan. 2026
These investments are typically illiquid and long-term, with multi-year lockups and limited redemption options.
—Fred Hubler, Forbes.com, 20 Jan. 2026
Rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine is joining Venezuela’s president and the man charged with gunning down United Healthcare’s CEO in a notorious federal lockup in New York City.
—Philip Marcelo, Fortune, 8 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for lock (up)
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lock (up)
Verb
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Other travelers have been burned, gored or even jailed after breaking park safety rules.—
Jessica Mekles,
FOXNews.com,
7 Mar. 2026
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Valizadeh is among at least 15 reporters currently jailed in Iran, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists.—
Philip Marcelo,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Mar. 2026
Noun
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In 2023, Jalloh was sentenced to seven years in prison for malicious wounding, with five of those years suspended.—
Mia Cathell,
The Washington Examiner,
9 Mar. 2026
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Now, the man responsible is set to spend more than six decades in prison, according to Adams County court records.—
Lauren Penington,
Denver Post,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Women were punished differently — whipped, branded, sold, imprisoned, or quietly executed.—
Ed Gaskin,
Boston Herald,
8 Mar. 2026
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Americans imprisoned on dubious charges Among the other Americans whose plight has become public is Afarin Mohajer, a California resident originally from Iran.—
Philip Marcelo,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Mar. 2026
Noun
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He was arrested again in Jackson, Mississippi, in 1961 and spent four months in a penitentiary where fellow Freedom Riders cried out in song each night.—
Veronica Ortega,
CBS News,
17 Feb. 2026
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Azcarate sentenced Magalhaes to 10 years in the penitentiary and two years suspended.—
Mirna Alsharif,
NBC news,
13 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Lock (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lock%20%28up%29. Accessed 11 Mar. 2026.
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