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locks (up)

verb

present tense third-person singular of lock (up)
as in imprisons
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 locks (up)
  1. imprisons
  2. jails
  3. confines
Verb
  • Some progressives saw the former prosecutor as part of a criminal justice establishment that disproportionately imprisons Black men.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 21 Sep. 2026
  • The King imprisons the miller’s daughter in a room and orders her to prove her magical ability under pain of death.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of imprisons
Verb
  • Only 65 people rebooked into those counties’ jails two or more times through June 2026 were eventually released on bond.
    — Mario Ariza, ProPublica, 27 Aug. 2026
  • The facility is one of 11 Kentucky jails that contract with ICE to detain people.
    — Monroe Trombly, Louisville Courier Journal, 24 Feb. 2026
Definition of jails
Verb
  • Places like Los Angeles and Oakland have high permit fees and strict zoning that often confines cans to industrial areas.
    — Alexandra Harrell, Sourcing Journal, 9 Feb. 2026
  • In an industry that often confines its actors, especially women and especially Black women, Hall continues to carve a path defined by risk, depth and courage.
    — Clayton Davis, Variety, 14 Nov. 2025
Definition of confines
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.

Browse Nearby Words

locksteps
locks (up)
lock (up)
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Locks (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/locks%20%28up%29. Accessed 1 Oct. 2026.

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