lock out 1 of 2

verb

Definition of lock outnext
as in to walk

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lockout

2 of 2

noun

as in sit-down

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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 out
Verb
Rate limiting, in which a set number of requests are allowed per account, would also lock out the account. — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 4 June 2026 If the two Democrats lock out the GOP candidate, Steyer and Becerra will have to fight it out until November to convince California voters who might be a better choice to lead the state for four years. — William Melhado, Sacbee.com, 3 June 2026
Noun
Harper argues that an anticipated lockout next season, stemming from the current CBA, makes taking on high salaries for the rest of this year a strategic financial play, as full salaries might not be paid next year. — Peter Chawaga, Forbes.com, 25 July 2026 The influx of funding for the A’s comes at a critical moment for Major League Baseball, which is mired in labor negotiations with a possible lockout looming. — Evan Drellich, New York Times, 24 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for lock out
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lock out
  1. walk
  2. sit-down
  3. walk out
  4. slowdown
  5. walkout
  6. job action
  7. sick-out
Verb
  • This was on full display last September when Chinese leader Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un walked side by side at a military parade in Beijing – a show of unity among authoritarians.
    — Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 31 July 2026
  • Beth Sightler walked me around her working-class neighborhood in the Old North End.
    — Michael Powell, The Atlantic, 30 July 2026
Definition of walk
Noun
  • Ahead of the sit-down dinner and ceremony, guests such as Storm Reid, Christine Quinn, Jurnee Smollett, and Lukas Gage trickled in from the rainy outdoors over an hour or so, greeted inside with Casamigos cocktails, filet mignon canapés, and more.
    — Jamila Stewart, Vogue, 22 Mar. 2023
  • The seven new sit-down restaurants are serving an impressive mix of Italian, Eastern European, Brazilian, French and Mexican food.
    — Sarah Blaskovich, Dallas News, 17 Mar. 2023
Definition of sit-down
Verb
  • As soon as the duo walked out the door, all script pages that featured the Kardashian scene were ripped away and thrown in a trash can.
    — Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 21 July 2026
  • The employee reportedly walked out from behind the counter and shoved his hand away, as briefly seen in the footage.
    — Colson Thayer, PEOPLE, 20 July 2026
Definition of walk out
Noun
  • The prospect of a rate increase poses the risk of a slowdown in economic activity over the coming months as corporations face the prospect of higher borrowing costs.
    — Max Zahn, ABC News, 30 July 2026
  • Does all this mean the AI industry is ready for a slowdown, or even a pause?
    — Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 30 July 2026
Definition of slowdown
Noun
  • His classmates staged a walkout in protest of his detention and his case was covered in the local media, then picked up by the ACLU.
    — Kat Lonsdorf, NPR, 27 July 2026
  • The walkout disrupted care for patients in the epicenter of the country’s rapidly growing outbreak.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 25 July 2026
Definition of walkout
Noun
  • The pilots’ job action was in protest of the Belgian government’s reforms to federal pensions.
    — Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 15 Oct. 2025
  • The job action shut down the entirety of New Jersey Transit’s rail service, from the foothills of the Shawangunk Mountains in New York to Atlantic City — including, most notably, trains into and out of Pennsylvania Station in Manhattan.
    — Dan Barry, New York Times, 18 May 2025
Definition of job action
Noun
  • Last season, Maggie faced nursing union negotiations, culminating in a sick-out.
    — Claire Franken, TVLine, 28 Aug. 2025
  • Maggie’s major Season 10 storyline involved the tense nursing union negotiations at the hospital, which culminated in a sick-out.
    — Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 28 Aug. 2025
Definition of sick-out

Browse Nearby Words

locking (up)
lock out
lockout
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Lock out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lock%20out. Accessed 2 Aug. 2026.

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