as in to jail
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
as in jail
a place of confinement for persons held in lawful custody
the firm conviction that juvenile offenders should never be held in adult lockups
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of lock (up)
Charlie Warzel,
The Atlantic,
20 June 2026
The Cook County state’s attorney’s office approved first-degree murder charges against Jamison, according to police, and he was set to be transferred to the Cook County sheriff’s lockup at the Markham courthouse.
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Evy Lewis,
Chicago Tribune,
19 June 2026
That demand, combined with its low float — as lockups keep insiders from selling shares for months — could put upward pressure on SpaceX shares.
—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
18 June 2026
In October, his children made heartfelt pleas to a New York federal judge to see their father released from federal lockup after more than a year of incarceration.
—
Kevin Dolak,
HollywoodReporter,
16 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for lock (up)
Noun
Analysts are predicting volatility for the stock as lockup periods end and people sell shares.
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Charlie Warzel,
The Atlantic,
20 June 2026
The Cook County state’s attorney’s office approved first-degree murder charges against Jamison, according to police, and he was set to be transferred to the Cook County sheriff’s lockup at the Markham courthouse.
—
Evy Lewis,
Chicago Tribune,
19 June 2026
That demand, combined with its low float — as lockups keep insiders from selling shares for months — could put upward pressure on SpaceX shares.
—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
18 June 2026
In October, his children made heartfelt pleas to a New York federal judge to see their father released from federal lockup after more than a year of incarceration.
—
Kevin Dolak,
HollywoodReporter,
16 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for lock (up)
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lock (up)
Verb
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Jail records show that Alcin, Martinez, Cobas and Putney were all denied bond and remained jailed at Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center.
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Also contentious was last year’s jailing of former Trade Minister Thomas Lembong over sugar import permits a decade ago despite no evidence of personal financial gain.
Noun
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The pair, who were detained in March, had already spent four months in prison prior to the punishment, which ultimately reduced their sentence from 25 lashes to 21, the AP said.
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Taylor, 30, now faces a potential sentence of life in prison.
Verb
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He was imprisoned for three years in 2001 for inciting subversion of state power.
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Xiaobo worked relentlessly as an advocate for democracy and reform in China, for which he was arrested and imprisoned multiple times; he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2010.
Noun
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Two years ago, a judge freed Anthony Bailey after 27 years in the federal penitentiary, giving him a second chance at life.
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After a federal jury voted to convict him in early 2024, Hernández was sent to a notorious high-security penitentiary in West Virginia to serve his time.
Cite this Entry
“Lock (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lock%20%28up%29. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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