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)
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
-
According to Collin County records, he was jailed and released.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
7 July 2025
-
Maxwell was jailed for 20 years in June 2022 following a one month trial concluding in December 2021.—
Jack Royston,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 July 2025
Noun
-
If convicted, the charges carry sentences that could send her to prison for years.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
6 July 2025
-
An ex-con who went to prison for shooting a teenager to death during a birthday party went on to go into business as a gun trafficker in Queens after his release on parole, federal prosecutors say.—
John Annese,
New York Daily News,
6 July 2025
Verb
-
Those imprisoned under that code were forced to wear a pink triangle to denote homosexuality.—
Ashley Mackin Solomon,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
30 June 2025
-
The crackdown left hundreds killed, thousands imprisoned and several executed.—
Sahar Zand,
ABC News,
28 June 2025
Noun
-
Weger was taken to the Illinois state penitentiary in Joliet to begin his life sentence.—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
26 June 2025
-
On top of her one-year sentence on obscenity charges, Adams was sentenced to six months at a women’s penitentiary—a pair of punishments that allowed authorities to start considering whether to ship her back to Poland upon her release from prison.—
Kellie B. Gormly,
Smithsonian Magazine,
26 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Lock (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lock%20%28up%29. Accessed 10 Jul. 2025.
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