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)
Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 24 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
In addition to the physical upgrades, federal authorities have tried to crack down on crime inside the lockup.
—Michael R. Sisak, Chicago Tribune, 4 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for lock (up)
Noun
He and his wife, Cilia Flores, are being held at a federal lockup on drug-trafficking charges in New York.
—Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 24 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
In addition to the physical upgrades, federal authorities have tried to crack down on crime inside the lockup.
—Michael R. Sisak, Chicago Tribune, 4 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for lock (up)
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lock (up)
Verb
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He was jailed in January 2021 and moved to an Arctic penal colony in late 2023.—
Kerry Breen,
CBS News,
14 Feb. 2026
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For example, Yasser Abu Shabab, the now-deceased head of one of the gangs, reportedly escaped prison, where he was jailed for drug smuggling.—
Daniel Estrin,
NPR,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
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He was charged with sedition and sent to a federal prison in North Dakota.—
Zoe Sottile,
CNN Money,
16 Feb. 2026
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Harrell left the band the following year and was sentenced to two years in prison in 2015.—
Jim Beaugez,
Rolling Stone,
15 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Even today, families continue searching for loved ones, uncertain whether they are imprisoned or dead.—
Pegah Banihashemi,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Feb. 2026
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Navalnaya said her husband exhibited no instances of heart disease before he was imprisoned.—
Kerry Breen,
CBS News,
14 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Azcarate sentenced Magalhaes to 10 years in the penitentiary and two years suspended.—
Mirna Alsharif,
NBC news,
13 Feb. 2026
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Author Ta-Nehisi Coates, an 8-year-old in West Baltimore at the time of the murder, offers piercing commentary on the impact of both the initial crime and the succeeding one, the grievously unjust trial that put three kids in the penitentiary.—
Sheri Linden,
HollywoodReporter,
28 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Lock (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lock%20%28up%29. Accessed 19 Feb. 2026.
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