lock away
phrasal verb
locked away; locking away; locks away
1
: to put (something) in a locked container, place, etc.
The jewelry was locked away in a cabinet.
2
: to put (someone) in a locked place (such as a prison) for a long period of time
lock away a criminal
The state locked their sister away in a psychiatric hospital.
3
: to keep (oneself) alone in a room or place for a long period of time
He locked himself away in his room while he studied.
He was locked away in his room while he studied.
Examples of lock away in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
However, the medications, along with others, are locked away in a building controlled by Chemonics, an organization financed by USAID that has lost access to the site because of the stop-work orders.
—
Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 6 Feb. 2025
In these forms, carbon stays locked away for thousands of years, ocean biochemists estimate.
—IEEE Spectrum, 26 Dec. 2024
Gold is a surprisingly common metal, but most is locked away deep within Earth's mantle.
—David Bressan, Forbes, 25 Dec. 2024
Some of the substances have been locked away for decades at the downtown headquarters of the Houston Police Department.
—Ben Brachfeld, People.com, 16 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lock away
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Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 6 Feb. 2025
In these forms, carbon stays locked away for thousands of years, ocean biochemists estimate.
—IEEE Spectrum, 26 Dec. 2024
Gold is a surprisingly common metal, but most is locked away deep within Earth's mantle.
—David Bressan, Forbes, 25 Dec. 2024
Some of the substances have been locked away for decades at the downtown headquarters of the Houston Police Department.
—Ben Brachfeld, People.com, 16 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lock away
Cite this Entry
“Lock away.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lock%20away. Accessed 20 Mar. 2025.
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