as in jails
a place of confinement for persons held in lawful custody
the firm conviction that juvenile offenders should never be held in adult lockups
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Recent Examples of lockups
Owners reported sudden deceleration, downshifting, and temporary rear wheel lockups in 2015-2017 models.
—
Jamie L. Lareau, USA Today, 4 Feb. 2026
These investments are typically illiquid and long-term, with multi-year lockups and limited redemption options.
—Fred Hubler, Forbes.com, 20 Jan. 2026
Jamie L. Lareau, USA Today, 4 Feb. 2026
These investments are typically illiquid and long-term, with multi-year lockups and limited redemption options.
—Fred Hubler, Forbes.com, 20 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lockups
Noun
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There have also been fewer inmate deaths in Tarrant County than in Dallas and Harris counties, although those county jails have more capacity — 7,552 beds in Dallas County and 10,466 beds in Harris County, the report shows.—
Matthew Adams,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
13 Feb. 2026
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North Carolina legislators accurately portrayed a gap between how many people Immigration and Customs Enforcement picked up from Mecklenburg and Wake County jails through much of 2025.—
Mary Ramsey,
Charlotte Observer,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The wave of prison violence is happening despite the deployment of military and police forces in several penitentiaries.—
Michael Rios,
CNN Money,
8 Dec. 2025
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After his conviction, Gray was sent to Angola, one of the most violent penitentiaries in the country at the time.—
Richard A. Webster,
ProPublica,
25 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Iraq's National Center for International Judicial Cooperation said 5,704 suspects from 61 countries who were affiliated with IS were transferred from prisons in Syria.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
14 Feb. 2026
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Ghislaine Maxwell’s lawyer, David Oscar Markus, says mounting media campaigns from federal prisons is hardly as simple as buying a ring light and pressing record.—
Andrew Zucker,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Lockups.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lockups. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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