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)
Erik Ortiz, NBC news, 27 Mar. 2026
Take the brake-by-wire system, which blends the disc brakes’ stopping power with the 849’s regenerative braking to reduce jerk, prevent lockup, and maximize performance.
—Erik Shilling, Robb Report, 21 Mar. 2026
After he was arrested and placed into lockup at the police department, Cabassa reportedly flooded a portion of the building after blocking his toilet in his cell.
—Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 14 Mar. 2026
Another factor likely contributing to StubHub’s falling share price is the expiration of its 180-day lockup.
—Luisa Beltran, Sportico.com, 5 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for lock (up)
Noun
Tucked in a residential neighborhood of bungalows and crape myrtle trees, the federal women’s prison in Bryan, Texas, doesn’t look like a traditional lockup.
—Erik Ortiz, NBC news, 27 Mar. 2026
Take the brake-by-wire system, which blends the disc brakes’ stopping power with the 849’s regenerative braking to reduce jerk, prevent lockup, and maximize performance.
—Erik Shilling, Robb Report, 21 Mar. 2026
After he was arrested and placed into lockup at the police department, Cabassa reportedly flooded a portion of the building after blocking his toilet in his cell.
—Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 14 Mar. 2026
Another factor likely contributing to StubHub’s falling share price is the expiration of its 180-day lockup.
—Luisa Beltran, Sportico.com, 5 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for lock (up)
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lock (up)
Verb
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Lil Tjay was briefly jailed on suspicion of misdemeanor disorderly conduct-affray before he was released on $500 bond.—
Jessica Schladebeck,
New York Daily News,
24 Apr. 2026
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Nick Reiner, 32, who remains jailed without bail, has pleaded not guilty to the first-degree murder charges against him.—
City News Service,
Daily News,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Four others indicted in the case were given sentences of as much as six years in prison, with one woman getting a 10-month sentence, suspended for three years.—
Debby Wu,
Bloomberg,
27 Apr. 2026
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As part of Lololee’s deal, federal prosecutors agreed to recommend a prison term at the low end of the sentencing range, according to the court filing.—
Darrell Smith,
Sacbee.com,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The project denounces Haiti’s justice system through the story of a woman imprisoned for years without trial and later judged not by law, but by scripture.—
Lise Pedersen,
Variety,
25 Apr. 2026
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Those who answered no to the questions were, in most cases, imprisoned for the remainder of the war or beyond.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Local flavor The Idaho Botanical Garden is located next to the penitentiary and boasts more than 30 acres of gardens.—
Nathan Diller,
USA Today,
18 Apr. 2026
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The government opened the federal penitentiary on Alcatraz in 1934, hoping to use the remote island to house particularly difficult prisoners, according to the National Park Service.—
Justine McDaniel,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Lock (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lock%20%28up%29. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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