View synonyms for

lockup

[ lok-uhp ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

a jail, especially a local one for temporary detention.
the act of locking up or the state of being locked up.
a temporary imprisonment or detention, as of suspects or prisoners.
a stock that has been held by an individual as a long-term investment, or that a brokerage firm is required by a regulation to hold for a certain period of time before it can be sold.
any investment or credit instrument, as a renewed loan, in which capital is tied up for a long time.
Printing.
1. the entire body of type and cuts locked up in a chase preparatory to printing or platemaking.
2. the act or procedure of locking up type and cuts in a chase.
Automotive. a sudden stopping of the rotation of a wheel.
British Informal. a rented locker, storage space, or garage.

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Word History and Origins

Origin of lockup¹

First recorded in 1760–70; noun use of verb phrase lock up

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

She suggested the agency needs an outsider view of its staffing levels, especially in county lockups.

From

Meiser was accused of trying to smuggle the drugs to inmate “shot-callers” whom the Mexican Mafia appointed to control Latino inmates in the county lockups.

From

After decades in law enforcement, Marshall took the helm in January 2023 of the West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation, which includes all of the state’s prisons, jails and juvenile lockups.

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The Sacramento lockup has become one of the most violent prisons in the state, recording four homicides in 2024 and three this year.

From

He is now charged with conspiring with gang “shot-callers” to smuggle heroin into lockups.

From

Related Words

penitentiary

lock the barn door after the horse has bolted lock up

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