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)
Erik Ortiz, NBC news, 27 Mar. 2026
Take the brake-by-wire system, which blends the disc brakes’ stopping power with the 849’s regenerative braking to reduce jerk, prevent lockup, and maximize performance.
—Erik Shilling, Robb Report, 21 Mar. 2026
After he was arrested and placed into lockup at the police department, Cabassa reportedly flooded a portion of the building after blocking his toilet in his cell.
—Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 14 Mar. 2026
Another factor likely contributing to StubHub’s falling share price is the expiration of its 180-day lockup.
—Luisa Beltran, Sportico.com, 5 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for lock (up)
Noun
Tucked in a residential neighborhood of bungalows and crape myrtle trees, the federal women’s prison in Bryan, Texas, doesn’t look like a traditional lockup.
—Erik Ortiz, NBC news, 27 Mar. 2026
Take the brake-by-wire system, which blends the disc brakes’ stopping power with the 849’s regenerative braking to reduce jerk, prevent lockup, and maximize performance.
—Erik Shilling, Robb Report, 21 Mar. 2026
After he was arrested and placed into lockup at the police department, Cabassa reportedly flooded a portion of the building after blocking his toilet in his cell.
—Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 14 Mar. 2026
Another factor likely contributing to StubHub’s falling share price is the expiration of its 180-day lockup.
—Luisa Beltran, Sportico.com, 5 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for lock (up)
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lock (up)
Verb
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Since the 2021 army takeover, nearly 8,000 civilians have been killed and some 22,208 political detainees remain jailed, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, a rights monitoring group.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
10 Apr. 2026
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Confronted by the local cops, Strahler admitted to creating and sending the images, then was arrested and jailed.—
Ashley Belanger,
ArsTechnica,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Householder is serving a 20-year prison sentence after being convicted in 2023 of orchestrating the scheme, which FirstEnergy has admitted to underwriting.—
Julie Carr Smyth,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Apr. 2026
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Ware is being held at the Clay County Detention Center while awaiting trial, and his escape resulted in an additional charge of felony prison breach and escape, jail records show.—
Mark Price,
Charlotte Observer,
19 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Those who answered no to the questions were, in most cases, imprisoned for the remainder of the war or beyond.—
Hua Hsu,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
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But the vast public record that has emerged from the scandal has raised questions about Husted’s dealings with key players who have been indicted or imprisoned in the scheme, which revolved around legislative approval of a $1-billion bailout for the state’s two nuclear power plants.—
Julie Carr Smyth,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The government opened the federal penitentiary on Alcatraz in 1934, hoping to use the remote island to house particularly difficult prisoners, according to the National Park Service.—
Justine McDaniel,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Apr. 2026
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But Wood’s penitentiary is considerably sturdier.—
Robert Rubsam,
The Atlantic,
26 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Lock (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lock%20%28up%29. Accessed 21 Apr. 2026.
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