locks 1 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of lock
1
as in latches

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Dissimilar Words
2
as in wraps

Related Words

locks

2 of 2

noun

plural of lock
as in certainties
one that is certain to succeed the governor is regarded as a lock for his party's presidential nomination

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 locks
Noun
As Li’s Hardy locks eyes with Cage’s Reilly, the editing shifts from noir to music video and everything else fades. — Harmon Siegel, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026 The authority cited current and projected lake levels, near-average precipitation across the canal’s watershed and the water-saving measures in place at the locks as reasons for the about-face. — Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 30 Sep. 2026 Like morphine and fentanyl, cychlorphine locks onto the brain’s mu-opioid receptors, reducing pain and increasing euphoria. — New Atlas, 30 Sep. 2026 Smooth layered hair with hair straightening products, then style with a flat iron for long, lustrous locks. — Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 27 Sep. 2026 While the March 14 Academy Awards are still months away, and much could change between now and then (just ask Emilia Pérez), there are a handful of films that feel like locks for best-picture nominations. — Rebecca Ford, Vanity Fair, 24 Sep. 2026 Any dollar that stays in Georgia is one that can’t be spent on competitive races in perennial battlegrounds like Maine, Michigan or Ohio — or new hot spots such as Iowa, Kansas and Texas where Republicans once were seen as locks. — Greg Bluestein, AJC.com, 23 Sep. 2026 Mayor Linda Gorton told me the city has handed out free gun locks and offered to buy back guns from residents, among other interventions. — Jenisha Watts, The Atlantic, 20 Sep. 2026 These Forge Luggage Locks come in a pack of four, giving you enough locks for each of your travel bags. — Amelia McBride, Travel + Leisure, 20 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for locks
  1. latches
  2. wraps
  3. chains
  4. folds
  5. shuts
  6. twines
  7. fastens
  8. encircles
Verb
  • This bag from Away has a code lock that latches onto the zippers, preventing everyone but you and security from getting in.
    — Joel Balsam, Travel + Leisure, 20 Sep. 2026
  • Both the containers and lids are made from glass, and the lids are sealed with food-safe silicone that latches into place on both sides for an airtight design without leaks.
    — Caley Sturgill, Southern Living, 18 July 2026
Definition of latches
Verb
  • Extending the golf course to the water’s edge probably would have to be coordinated with the reconstruction of the long-deteriorating sea wall that wraps around the peninsula.
    — Rick Maese, Washington Post, 30 Sep. 2026
  • The shoes feature a wide slingback strap that wraps around the back of the foot, while a dainty bow is perched right at the vamp.
    — Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of wraps
Verb
  • Restaurant chains Chipotle and QDOBA pulled jalapeños last week.
    — Youri Benadjaoud, ABC News, 9 Aug. 2026
  • To address this, Ivo uses a multi-step pipeline that chains together more than 400 model calls for each contract review.
    — Charlie Fink, Forbes.com, 20 Jan. 2026
Definition of chains
Verb
  • An adjustable kickstand that folds out from one panel can support the screen array at a variety of angles.
    — Tony Hoffman, PC Magazine, 26 Sep. 2026
  • The front cupboard hatch door, meanwhile, folds down to access the interior and create another surface for work and storage.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of folds
Verb
  • There’s a brief pause, and then my phone goes haywire, inundated with Bluetooth signal spam — new Airpods connections, contact requests, an avalanche of popups that make my phone basically unusable until Hedge shuts it off.
    — Jack Crosbie, Rolling Stone, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Both failures are expensive in flood response, since a miss floods a warehouse and a false alarm shuts one down for no reason.
    — Sandy Carter, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of shuts
Verb
  • Even so, the Tower of Dimon, sitting at the intersection of finance and real estate, twines itself literally through the physical city, from the train tunnels below to the sidewalk and up to the skyline — and through its urban culture, too.
    — Justin Davidson, Curbed, 12 Nov. 2025
Definition of twines
Verb
  • Unique to the mid-top is a metal hook that fastens its collar strap, replacing the plastic hook traditionally seen on the Air Force 1 Mid.
    — Riley Jones, Footwear News, 16 Aug. 2026
  • My favorite detail is the red ribbon on Giovanna’s right shoulder, which fastens her sleeve to her dress and floats over the darkness.
    — Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026
Definition of fastens
Verb
  • In May, the Georgia Department of Transportation closed a major section of the road, which encircles the city of Atlanta and connects much of the greater metro area, sending both intra- and interstate traffic through the city.
    — Irene Wright, USA Today, 25 Aug. 2026
  • The paint color that encircles the wallpaper is important, but Chloe Redmond Warner says the bread should be the least exciting part of this sandwich.
    — Kelsey Mulvey, Vogue, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of encircles

Browse Nearby Words

lockouts
locks
locks horns
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Locks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/locks. Accessed 3 Oct. 2026.

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