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
Relevance
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
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 (up)
Erik Ortiz, NBC news, 27 Mar. 2026
Take the brake-by-wire system, which blends the disc brakes’ stopping power with the 849’s regenerative braking to reduce jerk, prevent lockup, and maximize performance.
—Erik Shilling, Robb Report, 21 Mar. 2026
After he was arrested and placed into lockup at the police department, Cabassa reportedly flooded a portion of the building after blocking his toilet in his cell.
—Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 14 Mar. 2026
Another factor likely contributing to StubHub’s falling share price is the expiration of its 180-day lockup.
—Luisa Beltran, Sportico.com, 5 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for lock (up)
Noun
Tucked in a residential neighborhood of bungalows and crape myrtle trees, the federal women’s prison in Bryan, Texas, doesn’t look like a traditional lockup.
—Erik Ortiz, NBC news, 27 Mar. 2026
Take the brake-by-wire system, which blends the disc brakes’ stopping power with the 849’s regenerative braking to reduce jerk, prevent lockup, and maximize performance.
—Erik Shilling, Robb Report, 21 Mar. 2026
After he was arrested and placed into lockup at the police department, Cabassa reportedly flooded a portion of the building after blocking his toilet in his cell.
—Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 14 Mar. 2026
Another factor likely contributing to StubHub’s falling share price is the expiration of its 180-day lockup.
—Luisa Beltran, Sportico.com, 5 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for lock (up)
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lock (up)
Verb
-
Lil Tjay was briefly jailed on suspicion of misdemeanor disorderly conduct-affray before he was released on $500 bond.—
Jessica Schladebeck,
New York Daily News,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Nick Reiner, 32, who remains jailed without bail, has pleaded not guilty to the first-degree murder charges against him.—
City News Service,
Daily News,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Householder is serving a 20-year prison sentence after being convicted in 2023 of orchestrating the scheme, which FirstEnergy has admitted to underwriting.—
Julie Carr Smyth,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Apr. 2026
-
Ware is being held at the Clay County Detention Center while awaiting trial, and his escape resulted in an additional charge of felony prison breach and escape, jail records show.—
Mark Price,
Charlotte Observer,
19 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Those who answered no to the questions were, in most cases, imprisoned for the remainder of the war or beyond.—
Hua Hsu,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
-
But the vast public record that has emerged from the scandal has raised questions about Husted’s dealings with key players who have been indicted or imprisoned in the scheme, which revolved around legislative approval of a $1-billion bailout for the state’s two nuclear power plants.—
Julie Carr Smyth,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Local flavor The Idaho Botanical Garden is located next to the penitentiary and boasts more than 30 acres of gardens.—
Nathan Diller,
USA Today,
18 Apr. 2026
-
The government opened the federal penitentiary on Alcatraz in 1934, hoping to use the remote island to house particularly difficult prisoners, according to the National Park Service.—
Justine McDaniel,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Lock (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lock%20%28up%29. Accessed 27 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
