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
Nathan kept her and Seraphine’s passports, birth certificates and Social Security cards locked away.
—
Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 6 Apr. 2025
But reproductions eventually fell out of favor, and eventually into disrepair, locked away in storage or destroyed.
—Jacqui Palumbo, CNN Money, 3 Apr. 2025
For years, Sophie Grégoire Trudeau kept her struggle with an eating disorder hidden, locked away behind shame and self-doubt.
—Emily Cegielski, Flow Space, 8 Mar. 2025
Secondary marketplaces for things like private equity or real estate syndications have opened new options for selling assets that used to feel locked away.
—Fred Hubler, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lock away
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Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 6 Apr. 2025
But reproductions eventually fell out of favor, and eventually into disrepair, locked away in storage or destroyed.
—Jacqui Palumbo, CNN Money, 3 Apr. 2025
For years, Sophie Grégoire Trudeau kept her struggle with an eating disorder hidden, locked away behind shame and self-doubt.
—Emily Cegielski, Flow Space, 8 Mar. 2025
Secondary marketplaces for things like private equity or real estate syndications have opened new options for selling assets that used to feel locked away.
—Fred Hubler, Forbes, 25 Feb. 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 24 Apr. 2025.
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