lockdown
noun
lock·down
ˈläk-ˌdau̇n 
plural lockdowns
1
: the confinement of prisoners to their cells for all or most of the day as a temporary security measure
2
a
: an emergency measure or condition in which people are temporarily prevented from entering or leaving a restricted area or building (such as a school) during a threat of danger
For those of you unfamiliar with a school lockdown, it basically means that … when there is a threat of danger, the doors to all the classrooms and offices are locked.—
Anne Sponholtz
Anne Sponholtzlockdown drills/procedures
b
: a temporary condition imposed by governmental authorities (as during the outbreak of an epidemic disease) in which most people are required to refrain from or limit activities outside the home involving public contact (such as dining out or attending large gatherings)
Authorities placed the central Chinese city under lockdown on Jan. 23 after the virus had infected hundreds of residents and was just starting its spread across the globe.—Darryl Coote
Darryl CooteThe San Francisco Bay Area lockdown and national guidelines signal a rapid escalation of government and business efforts to halt the coronavirus spread via restrictions that will slam the brakes on economic activity.—Ed Carson
Ed CarsonWhile most people are at home during lockdown, essential workers are still on the front lines and need their children to be looked after.—George Heagney
George HeagneyExamples of lockdown in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
That slump lasted about two months and then demand rebounded as work-from-home policies allowed people to travel freely, and friends and family sought escapes from lockdown fatigue, Gremillion said.
—Shonda Novak, Austin American Statesman, 30 July 2025
The central bank doesn’t distinguish between expenses going up because of natural disasters, pandemic lockdowns or government policies, such as sales taxes and regulations, and the classic inflation that comes when the value of the dollar is reduced.
—Steve Forbes, Forbes.com, 29 July 2025
Feucht first rose to prominence with his Let Us Worship tour in the latter half of 2020, which protested COVID-19 lockdowns.
—Marni Rose McFall, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 July 2025
These long-term existing inequalities meant coastal communities were particularly vulnerable to the impact of Covid-19 lockdowns, with areas experiencing some of the largest drops in local spending as well as the highest rises in unemployment in the country in 2020.
—Suyin Haynes, CNN Money, 22 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for lockdown
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.
Shonda Novak, Austin American Statesman, 30 July 2025
The central bank doesn’t distinguish between expenses going up because of natural disasters, pandemic lockdowns or government policies, such as sales taxes and regulations, and the classic inflation that comes when the value of the dollar is reduced.
—Steve Forbes, Forbes.com, 29 July 2025
Feucht first rose to prominence with his Let Us Worship tour in the latter half of 2020, which protested COVID-19 lockdowns.
—Marni Rose McFall, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 July 2025
These long-term existing inequalities meant coastal communities were particularly vulnerable to the impact of Covid-19 lockdowns, with areas experiencing some of the largest drops in local spending as well as the highest rises in unemployment in the country in 2020.
—Suyin Haynes, CNN Money, 22 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for lockdown
Cite this Entry
“Lockdown.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lockdown. Accessed 2 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationLegal Definition
lockdown
noun
lock·down
ˈläk-ˌdau̇n
: the confinement of prisoners to their cells for a temporary period as a security measure
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share