as in certainty
one that is certain to succeed
the governor is regarded as a lock for his party's presidential nomination
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of lock
Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 6 Aug. 2025
Center: Can Mays or Corbett separate themselves in the competition?
Austin Corbett and Cade Mays are locked in on their center battle.
—Mike Kaye
august 5, Charlotte Observer, 5 Aug. 2025
Emily Weaver, People.com, 1 Aug. 2025
This mulch suppresses weeds, locks in soil moisture, and feeds microbial life beneath the trees.
—Esha Chhabra, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lock
Noun
Diddy remains locked up in the Brooklyn Metropolitan Detention Center pending his sentencing in October after a New York judge denied him bail for a fifth time this week despite the Bad Boy Records founder’s team offering to put up a $50 million bond for his release.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 6 Aug. 2025
Center: Can Mays or Corbett separate themselves in the competition?
Austin Corbett and Cade Mays are locked in on their center battle.
—Mike Kaye
august 5, Charlotte Observer, 5 Aug. 2025
Verb
Similar to Alba’s bag, this version also has a front lock for added security.
—Emily Weaver, People.com, 1 Aug. 2025
This mulch suppresses weeds, locks in soil moisture, and feeds microbial life beneath the trees.
—Esha Chhabra, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lock
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lock
Noun
-
This gives you certainty and a guarantee of progress.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
8 Aug. 2025
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But instead of a decade of policy certainty as had been expected, federal tax credits for clean energy now are set to abruptly end after 2027.—
Mike O’Boyle,
Mercury News,
7 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Across pre-season, Amorim’s men have looked to bait the press onto them when building in and around their penalty area, before looking to hit the ball into the channels for the wing-backs or the No 10s to latch onto.—
Carl Anka,
New York Times,
15 Aug. 2025
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But the serene moment takes an abrupt turn when the cat suddenly bites her hand and latches onto her arm.—
Maria Morava,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 July 2025
Verb
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Cover or wrap it loosely with a clean, dry bandage.—
Marina Johnson,
The Courier-Journal,
18 Aug. 2025
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The proud mom smiled as her little girl gave her a tight hug, with her arm wrapped around her neck.—
Erin Clack,
People.com,
17 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The feature is pretty much a slam dunk, with the camera’s roving eye picking out random pairs of people in the stands who may or may not be actual couples — and therein lies part of the fun.—
Marc Ramirez,
USA Today,
3 Aug. 2025
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And then there are those shows that might not seem like slam dunks to rank as big hits with Generation Alpha.—
Josef Adalian,
Vulture,
31 July 2025
Verb
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In episode 2, Anika (Sofia Bryant) shuts Belly's college dorm room door, which has a Bye Bye Birdie poster hung to the back of it.—
Jordana Comiter,
People.com,
6 Aug. 2025
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Next time your door begins to screech at you, don’t just shut it out.—
Hallie Milstein,
Southern Living,
5 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Even more useful, this selfie stick folds out into a full-size tripod for non-selfie shots and group photos.—
Olivia Young,
Travel + Leisure,
10 Aug. 2025
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Some funds fold from time to time, which is why Morningstar tracked only the ones that survived over the full 12 months.—
Russ Wiles,
AZCentral.com,
10 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The companies that lead in the decades ahead won't simply bolt AI onto existing workflows.—
Julian Hayes II,
Forbes.com,
12 Aug. 2025
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Neighbors and businesses bolted their doors and watched anxiously from behind curtains as police swarmed the streets.—
Alaa Elassar,
CNN Money,
10 Aug. 2025
Verb
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In the vein of Jim Ford and Tony Joe White, East’s voice is fully formed here, twining country rootstock with soul and gospel so tightly that the traditions feel inseparable, and rightly so.—
Will Hermes,
Rolling Stone,
24 June 2025
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At his best, McCann does an assiduous, subtle job of twining his metaphors through everyday life.—
Katy Waldman,
New Yorker,
19 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Lock.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lock. Accessed 22 Aug. 2025.
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