under lock and key

idiom

: in a room, box, etc., that is locked
The jewels are kept under lock and key.
The prisoner is being kept/held under lock and key.

Examples of under lock and key in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Character details are being kept under lock and key. Matt Grobar, Deadline, 28 Feb. 2025 With expectations came even more pressure to keep plot details under lock and key, especially in regards to wanting season 2 spoilers. Dory Jackson, People.com, 28 Feb. 2025 Usually kept under lock and key, the plate has been let out for air and is currently on display for a few months at the Mapping the Infinite: Cosmologies Across Cultures exhibition at the Los Angeles County Museum. Keith Cooper, Space.com, 17 Jan. 2025 Just days before the stone was to be released, a federal court judge ordered that the emerald remain under lock and key until the federal case with Brazil concludes. Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 13 Dec. 2024 See All Example Sentences for under lock and key

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Under lock and key.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/under%20lock%20and%20key. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!