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
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.
George Kelly was locked away at Alcatraz from 1934-1951. Adam Sabes, FOXNews.com, 10 May 2025 The ones in the Vatican, who voted in Prevost as the successor to Pope Francis on Thursday, barely a day after they were locked away inside the Sistine Chapel for the historic conclave. Michael Loria, USA Today, 10 May 2025 Fogel was released from a Russian prison in February after spending more than three years locked away for bringing a small amount of medical cannabis into the country. Ryan Deto, Axios, 3 Apr. 2025 Charm Industrial is taking this one step further by converting biomass into bio-oil, which can then be injected into the ground, locking away the carbon for centuries. Swish Goswami, Forbes, 22 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for lock away

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Cite this Entry

“Lock away.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lock%20away. Accessed 24 May. 2025.

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