LOCKED (UP) Synonyms: 50 Similar and Opposite Words

locked (up)

verb

past tense of lock (up)

as in imprisoned

to put in or as if in prison if they catch you, they're going to lock you up and throw away the key!

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Recent Examples of Synonyms for locked (up)

Verb

The former cricket star turned politician was ousted in a parliamentary no-confidence vote in April 2022 and has been imprisoned since 2023 after being convicted in multiple cases.

— ABC News, ABC News, 20 Aug. 2026
The story is set in a post-apocalyptic world where 39 women and one girl—the book’s nameless protagonist—have been imprisoned in an underground bunker for years.

— Air Mail, Air Mail, 15 Aug. 2026

Definition of imprisoned

Verb

But the younger Meek isn’t emerging out of nowhere, either, having interned for congressional committees and the Executive office of the President under Joe Biden, according to his LinkedIn.

— Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 12 Aug. 2026
In 1941, Italian antifascists produced the Ventotene Manifesto (named for a small island where they were interned), calling for a federal socialist Europe.

— Ian Buruma, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of interned

Verb

Nick Reiner is currently incarcerated at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility in Los Angeles, awaiting further legal proceedings in connection with the alleged murder of his parents, Rob and Michele Reiner, which occurred on December 14, 2025.

— Blanche Marcel, Vanity Fair, 19 Aug. 2026
Many expressed their sadness at knowing their friend would likely spend much of his life incarcerated, but declined to comment on the record.

— Lorena O’Neil, Rolling Stone, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of incarcerated

Verb

Congestion is at record levels and, since the pandemic, it’s no longer confined to the morning and evening rush hours.

— Sara "Kraut" Gregory, AJC.com, 20 Aug. 2026
From 1908 until his death in 1947, he was largely confined to the property’s main home under specialized psychiatric care, while Katherine lived elsewhere, diligently funding research to find a cure.

— Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of confined

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locked out

locked (up)

locker

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“Locked (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/locked%20%28up%29. Accessed 22 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of locked (up)

verb

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