locking

present participle of lock

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 locking This anti-theft bag converts from tote to crossbody to backpack and is packed with smart security features, including RFID-blocking pockets, locking zippers, and a chair-lock loop. — Aly Walansky, Travel + Leisure, 19 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for locking
Verb
  • The dog made it over the fence and began to attack K-9 Diesel, latching onto his neck, prosecutors said.
    — Madeline Bartos, CBS News, 16 Sep. 2026
  • The second saw Isak recalibrate his run in behind a couple of times before latching onto Gakpo’s trivela pass, staying composed as a defender and Scherpen got close before sliding a shot home with his left foot.
    — Gregg Evans, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • The Chicks are currently wrapping their Taking the Long Way 20th anniversary tour in celebration of their album.
    — Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 3 Nov. 2026
  • The building plays with massing by continuing the expression of the base along one side and wrapping the tower at the top.
    — Edward Keegan, Chicago Tribune, 1 Nov. 2026
Verb
  • That frees up human operators to focus on big-picture decisions, such as monitoring weather forecasts, running flight simulations for possible paths, and then chaining together a series of navigational waypoints for the smoothest possible journey.
    — Jeremy Hsu, ArsTechnica, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Standing up for carriage drivers cannot mean chaining their futures to a dying trade that risks lives every time a horse panics in traffic.
    — Al Sharpton, New York Daily News, 14 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Ralf Schützhold, a professor at theoretical physics at HZDR, therefore suggests making such a bandgap through other means, such as cutting and folding the graphene to create tiny edges.
    — Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 30 Oct. 2026
  • That includes making your bed, folding clothes, even pulling on a sweatshirt, where your nails are at risk of getting caught and pulling.
    — Maggie Ryan, Flow Space, 30 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Failing infrastructure In Miami Shores, the waters submerged the city’s golf course, shutting it down for days to dry out.
    — Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Friday was the fourth time in the past month that Israel imposed restrictions across the territory, shutting gates and checkpoints connecting Palestinian villages to major roads.
    — Shlomo Mor, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Description This perennial member of the Fabaceae family produces long, slender vines that climb by twining or spread horizontally along the ground.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Blooms provide an early source of nectar for hummingbirds, butterflies, and other pollinators, while songbirds shelter and build nests among the twining branches.
    — Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 12 July 2026
Verb
  • Paired with her chocolate brown booties, Camilla donned a black wool trench coat with button closures fastening the collar in place, layered over what appeared to be a cowl-neck blouse with a floral-esque pattern.
    — Amina Ayoud, Footwear News, 24 Oct. 2026
  • If your duvet cover has buttons or zippers, Ceconi recommends fastening the closures before laundering to prevent tangling.
    — Caroline Lubinsky, Martha Stewart, 14 July 2026
Verb
  • Captured by the Solar Wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer, or SMILE, the footage reveals the full ring of auroral activity encircling Earth's north pole in ultraviolet light, stretching across both the night and day sides of our planet.
    — Daisy Dobrijevic, Space.com, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Dumas watched, charmed, his arms encircling his wife’s shoulders, and accepted an ice-cream sundae in a silver parfait cup.
    — Lauren Collins, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Locking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/locking. Accessed 5 Nov. 2026.

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