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)
Molly Crane-Newman, New York Daily News, 22 May 2026
The seasons passed with Nurul Amin in lockup, isolated by disability and differences in language and culture.
—Dan Barry, New York Times, 12 May 2026
Kamlager-Dove’s bill, called the Pregnant Women in Custody Act, would require the federal government to collect data on pregnancies — how many, the treatment, the outcomes — not only in local jails, but also in federal and state lockups, including immigration detention facilities.
—Jon Schuppe, NBC news, 7 May 2026
Alternative investments—with their often complex fee structures, lockup periods, and lack of transparency and liquidity—have traditionally made such fiduciary duties harder to demonstrate.
—Brian Lund, Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for lock (up)
Noun
That decision found a lower court judge who had sided with Khalil and freed him from a Louisiana lockup lacked the legal authority to weigh in on the lawfulness of the detention.
—Molly Crane-Newman, New York Daily News, 22 May 2026
The seasons passed with Nurul Amin in lockup, isolated by disability and differences in language and culture.
—Dan Barry, New York Times, 12 May 2026
Kamlager-Dove’s bill, called the Pregnant Women in Custody Act, would require the federal government to collect data on pregnancies — how many, the treatment, the outcomes — not only in local jails, but also in federal and state lockups, including immigration detention facilities.
—Jon Schuppe, NBC news, 7 May 2026
Alternative investments—with their often complex fee structures, lockup periods, and lack of transparency and liquidity—have traditionally made such fiduciary duties harder to demonstrate.
—Brian Lund, Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for lock (up)
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lock (up)
Verb
-
And in fact, that scientist was arrested and his lab was closed and he was jailed for a few years.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
11 June 2026
-
The three-judge panel at the Jakarta Military Court sentenced Sudarko to three years in prison, Cahyono to two and a half years, while Prasetya and Lakka were jailed for 2 years and 18 months respectively.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
10 June 2026
Noun
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Landry faces a minimum of 10 years and up to life in federal prison, according to federal prosecutors.—
Landon Mion,
FOXNews.com,
15 June 2026
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Oslo, NorwayReuters — The stepson of Norway’s Crown Prince Haakon was found guilty on Monday of rape and domestic violence and sentenced to four years in prison after a seven-week trial that has further dented the royal family’s once picture-perfect image.—
Reuters,
CNN Money,
15 June 2026
Verb
-
Rob-Will seems imprisoned in a crucible of masculinity.—
William Earl,
Variety,
12 June 2026
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Audriana had a particularly difficult time when her father was imprisoned and later deported to Italy.—
Jamie Ballard,
PEOPLE,
12 June 2026
Noun
-
After a federal jury voted to convict him in early 2024, Hernández was sent to a notorious high-security penitentiary in West Virginia to serve his time.—
Keri Blakinger,
ProPublica,
11 June 2026
-
Mike Braun opened the Speedway Slammer at an Indiana prison, Jim Pillen opened the Cornhusker Clink at a Nebraska work camp, and Jeff Landry opened the Louisiana Lockup in a disused wing of Angola penitentiary.—
Eric Schlosser,
The Atlantic,
4 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Lock (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lock%20%28up%29. Accessed 15 Jun. 2026.
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