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!
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for locked (up)
Verb
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Marwan Barghouti, 66, has been imprisoned by Israel since 2002 and was sentenced in 2004 to five life sentences for his role in attacks during the Second Intifada—the Palestinian armed uprising that followed the breakdown of the 1993 Oslo Accords.—
Karl Vick,
Time,
23 Oct. 2025 -
Lindsay Sandiford, 68, has been imprisoned on Bali since 2012.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
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He was convicted of heroin possession, jailed for six years, and released in 1992.—
Ed Caesar,
New Yorker,
20 Oct. 2025
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Randrianirina was little known even in Madagascar before the weekend, the BBC reported, although he was jailed in 2023 for planning a coup.—
Ben Smith,
semafor.com,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Like LaSota, a computer engineer from Fairbanks, Alaska, several Zizians worked or interned at technology behemoths, such as Google, Oracle, and NASA.—
Mia Cathell,
The Washington Examiner,
20 Oct. 2025
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There were roughly 60,000 people in immigration detention nationwide in both August and September – more than at any time since the United States government interned some 120,000 people, the majority of Japanese citizenship or ancestry, during World War II.—
Lauren Villagran,
USA Today,
19 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Imperiale was apprehended in 2021 and later deported to Italy, where he is now incarcerated.—
Ed Caesar,
New Yorker,
20 Oct. 2025
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His company, based on West Seventh Street, employs workers — about 60% of them previously incarcerated or in addiction recovery — to plow snow, power-wash trucks and decks, and string Christmas lights, paying them $25 per hour with benefits.—
Frederick Melo,
Twin Cities,
19 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Humilde envisioned this as a celebration of Mexican-American culture, not confined to any traditional genre or region.—
Isabela Raygoza,
Billboard,
21 Oct. 2025
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The first part of the ceasefire was confined to the release of living hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners and flowing in of aid.—
Francesca Chambers,
USA Today,
20 Oct. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Locked (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/locked%20%28up%29. Accessed 26 Oct. 2025.
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