lock·out
ˈläk-ˌau̇t 
: the withholding of employment by an employer and the whole or partial closing of the business establishment in order to gain concessions from or resist demands of employees
locked out; locking out; locks out
: to subject (a body of employees) to a lockout
Examples of lockout in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Lawrence Dow, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 Sep. 2025
That means no monthly charges, no auto-renewals, and no sudden lockouts when your subscription lapses.
—Stackcommerce Team, PC Magazine, 9 Sep. 2025
Max Goldbart, Deadline, 19 Sep. 2025
With medical personnel locked out of electronic health records and systems for coordinating basic patient care such as medications, surgical procedures, and tests, hospital employees reported lapses that threatened patients’ lives.
—Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 18 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lockout
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Noun
The players association and ownership will have to agree, or the league could face a lockout in late October, when the CBA expires.
—Lawrence Dow, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 Sep. 2025
That means no monthly charges, no auto-renewals, and no sudden lockouts when your subscription lapses.
—Stackcommerce Team, PC Magazine, 9 Sep. 2025
Verb
The diary takes in all the tittle tattle, including rumors around a Paramount bid for ITV, a re-up of The Crown EP Andy Harries’ Sony contract and a heroic Channel 4 comms chief swooping in to save the day after hacks were locked out of the traditional King’s College banquet.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 19 Sep. 2025
With medical personnel locked out of electronic health records and systems for coordinating basic patient care such as medications, surgical procedures, and tests, hospital employees reported lapses that threatened patients’ lives.
—Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 18 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lockout
Cite this Entry
“Lockout.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lockout. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
lockout
noun
lock·out
-ˌau̇t
: the stopping of work or closing of a plant by an employer during a labor dispute in order to make the employees come to terms
Legal Definition
lockout
noun
lock·out
ˈläk-ˌau̇t
: the withholding of employment by an employer in order to gain concessions from or resist demands of employees
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