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
-
The Department of Justice asked the court to re-jail a man who was pardoned on charges related to the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot but convicted of other offenses, as he is now accused of roaming Representative Jamie Raskin’s neighborhood, according to a Politico reporter.—
Jenna Sundel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Dec. 2025
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In the meantime, Vista Superior Court Judge Valerie Summers ordered Turner to remain jailed without bail.—
Teri Figueroa,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
3 Dec. 2025
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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Prosecutors had sought seven years and seven months in prison.—
Reuters,
CNN Money,
15 June 2026
Verb
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Assistant District Attorney Desmond McCallum told a judge that cellphone evidence suggested Dominique had been imprisoned in a bathroom and dog crate for months or years — bound with black tape and struck with a white belt.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
11 June 2026
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Doctors worried they could be arrested and imprisoned for providing legal and widely recognized treatment to pediatric patients.—
Sonja Sharp,
Los Angeles Times,
11 June 2026
Noun
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The wave of prison violence is happening despite the deployment of military and police forces in several penitentiaries.—
Michael Rios,
CNN Money,
8 Dec. 2025
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Rhoden's biggest political victory this year was getting the state Legislature to sign off on a $650 million plan in September to replace the 141-year-old state penitentiary, an issue the Legislature had quarreled over for years.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
18 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Lock (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lock%20%28up%29. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
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