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
Relevance
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
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 (up)
Andrew Blankstein, NBC news, 6 June 2025
During times when IPOs are hot and stocks are flying after their debut, investors are incentivized to hold and pocket the gains after the lockup period expires.
—Jordan Novet, CNBC, 27 May 2025
That plan depended on the judge sending the defendant back to lockup, even though he had been released from custody.
—Tovia Smith, NPR, 17 May 2025
She was sprung early from federal lockup in July 2023, after serving 1 year, 9 months, and 20 days..
—Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 11 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for lock (up)
Noun
Outside the Metropolitan Detention Center, a federal lockup, federal agents stood guard amid shouting protesters and ultimately fired less-lethal rounds to clear the area in front of the structure, according to NBC Los Angeles video and imagery posted to social media verified by NBC News.
—Andrew Blankstein, NBC news, 6 June 2025
During times when IPOs are hot and stocks are flying after their debut, investors are incentivized to hold and pocket the gains after the lockup period expires.
—Jordan Novet, CNBC, 27 May 2025
That plan depended on the judge sending the defendant back to lockup, even though he had been released from custody.
—Tovia Smith, NPR, 17 May 2025
She was sprung early from federal lockup in July 2023, after serving 1 year, 9 months, and 20 days..
—Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 11 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for lock (up)
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lock (up)
Verb
-
He’d been arrested and jailed after the victim’s death on unrelated charges in a different jurisdiction.—
Brian Niemietz,
New York Daily News,
25 June 2025
-
Venus' killer fled the scene and was never found, but the subjects of I'm Your Venus uncover new details related to the murder that weren't publicized at the time of the performer's death — including a disturbing confession from an unidentified man previously jailed over a rape case.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
24 June 2025
Noun
-
Under the terms of the agreement, Judge Julie Lugo, who presides in the 372nd District Court, sentenced Wolfe to 40 years in prison.—
Emerson Clarridge,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
24 June 2025
-
Joseph Suarez is expected to receive 28 years in prison and won’t be eligible for parole for 14 years.—
Muri Assunção,
New York Daily News,
24 June 2025
Verb
-
More than 200 Venezuelan nationals accused of gang affiliations were transferred to El Salvador, where they were imprisoned in the country's high-security mega-prison.—
Mandy Taheri,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 June 2025
-
It was focused on feeding the poor, taking care of the sick and elderly, and feeding those imprisoned in York Castle, and was self-sufficient until the rise of the Reformation movement.—
Irene Wright,
Miami Herald,
20 June 2025
Noun
-
The Torchlight Tour at Fremantle Prison takes visitors into the cells, tunnels, and courtyards of the prison, all by handheld light, with guides recounting the stories of those imprisoned in the 19th-century penitentiary.—
Stacey Leasca,
Travel + Leisure,
31 May 2025
-
But their attempts to address more fundamental corruption backfire; many interpret their pragmatic cooperation with the government as carrying water for Juan Orlando Hernández, a strongman president later exposed as a drug trafficker who is now serving a 45-year sentence in a U.S. penitentiary.—
Katherine Corcoran,
New York Times,
20 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Lock (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lock%20%28up%29. Accessed 1 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share