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View synonyms for

lockdown

[ lok-doun ]

noun

  1. the confining of prisoners to their cells, as following a riot or other disturbance:

    The prison lockdown continues, more than three weeks after the death of a guard.

  2. a security measure taken during an emergency to prevent people from leaving or entering a building or other location: The governor implemented a statewide lockdown to slow the spread of the virus—residents may not leave their homes for nonessential activities.

    The school remains under lockdown due to police activity in the area.

    The governor implemented a statewide lockdown to slow the spread of the virus—residents may not leave their homes for nonessential activities.

    The army base was on lockdown after a report of shots fired.

  3. a freeze or pause:

    Banks aren’t lending during this credit lockdown.



lockdown

/ ˈɒˌəʊ /

noun

  1. a security measure in which those inside a building such as a prison, school, or hospital are required to remain confined in it for a time

    many schools remained under lockdown yesterday

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Word History and Origins

Origin of lockdown1

First recorded in 1970–75; lock 1 + -down, probably extracted from nouns formed from phrasal verbs, such as crackdown, shutdown, etc.
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

“The lockdown of restaurants followed by a reduced interest in dining out led restaurateurs and chefs to pivot from open kitchens to sandwich counters.”

From

A BBC building in Belfast city centre was placed into lockdown for a short time after a group of protesters made their way onto the premises on Tuesday morning.

From

Yet after persisting, and on my very last trip to London before Covid lockdowns were announced, I met a publisher for lunch and was offered a deal for two books.

From

A short time later, on the day his school was sent home for lockdown, he was told he had been accepted into Juilliard's class for 2020, made up of just 18 students.

From

The 53-year-old recalled how "we were really bored" when the first lockdown was imposed and she was still "fresh in grief".

From

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