Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
🔒 To trap inside ✅ To make certain
to lock in

to lock in

425 3.9
To keep something inside so it cannot escape by closing or locking
  • phrasal verb
  • /lɑk ɪn/
: encerrar
  • Ian and an employee, Jaquanda, we're locked in the office.

You also need lockers so you can lock in the the tablets at night.

Autoplay Next

Examples

  • One was opened, and they were locked in a frozen, lightless room.

    Fiction book (1992)

  • Don't forget I locked myself in my room every night.

    Dodge Woodall

  • Go to the house and lock yourself in.

    The Wicker Man (2006)

  • It's okay in the day, but lock yourself in.

    Single White Female (1992)

  • Well, Robert went out to look for you and Laura locked herself in her bathroom eight hours ago.

    The Laureate (2023)

  • These men and I, we will round up the suspects and lock them in my holding cells.

    Werewolf (1997)

  • I'm gonna lock you in your room, you little monster.

    Trick or Treats (1982)

  • She ends up being locked in the upstairs attic by the husband.

    Chris Williamson

  • Lock my skis in the car so they don't get ripped off.

    Dangerous Curves (1988)

  • The child was locked in her room for not finishing her homework.

Synonyms

to lock
vsto lock in
∞ 1.0

To fasten something with a key so other people cannot open it

describes the general act of enclosing or securing, not only the device
to lock up
vsto lock in
525 4.0

Put someone or something in a place where they cannot leave, for example a jail

is the broader action of enclosing or fixing so escape is blocked
to put away
vsto lock in
147 5.8

To lock someone in prison or a secure place

is more general, applying to enclosing or securing objects or people alike
to secure
vsto lock in
105 3.3

To fasten firmly so it cannot move or be taken

is specifically about enclosing or sealing to stop escape or removal
to lock away
vsto lock in
88 3.4

Put someone or something somewhere they cannot leave and others cannot reach

focuses on enclosing or sealing to stop removal rather than safe storage
to seal off
vsto lock in
26 3.7

Close something tightly so nothing can get in or out

is about enclosing or fastening items so they cannot be removed
to seal in
vsto lock in
20 3.9

Close something tightly so air, water, or flavor cannot escape

focuses on enclosing by fixing or sealing to stop removal or escape
to shut in
vsto lock in
19 5.1

Surround something completely so it cannot get out or move

is similar but highlights using seals or fixed fastenings to secure
to shackle
vsto lock in
19 6.2

To restrain someone with chains or limit their freedom

focuses more on enclosing or sealing to stop escape rather than chaining
to box in
vsto lock in
16 4.7

To stop a person or thing from moving, acting freely and making choices

is about securing by fixing or sealing rather than simply surrounding
to shut up
vsto lock in
11 5.5

Lock someone inside a place so they cannot leave

adds the idea of sealing or fastening as the usual means of securing
to padlock
vsto lock in
10 3.4

To fasten something using a small metal lock with a U-shaped bar

is the general enclosing action that can use such a device
to bolt the door
vsto lock in
6 2.7

To slide a metal bar across a door to keep it closed

is the wider act of making something unable to be removed or escaped
to cage in
vsto lock in
6 5.4

To put someone or something into a small space with bars to stop them moving freely

is similar but stresses sealing or fixed fastening as the securing method
to shut away
vsto lock in
5 5.5

Keep people and things in a place where they cannot leave or be seen

emphasizes securing or sealing physically rather than hiding or isolating
to hem in
vsto lock in
1 6.7

Surround a person or thing so they cannot leave

involves actual enclosing or fastening to prevent removal or escape
to clinch
vsto lock in
1 4.8

To bend the end of a nail to hold things together

is the broader act of enclosing or sealing rather than a specific technique
to seal the container
vsto lock in
1 1.9

Close something tightly so nothing can get in or out

covers the general enclosing or securing action beyond only containers
to hasp
vsto lock in
1 9.6

To fasten a door or box with a hinged metal plate and lock it

describes the enclosing or sealing action that may use this fitting

Antonyms

to release
∞ 1.8

To let someone or something go free from being held

to unseal
16 4.3

To open something by breaking or removing a seal

How Enclosed

to seal
288 2.5
to lock in
425 3.9
to trap
550 2.6
to enclose
31 3.7
to contain
∞ 1.1

Surface Forms

lock in infinitive

Morphology

lock + in

The meaning 'to make something definite or secured' is directly built from 'lock' (to secure or fasten) plus the particle 'in' (indicating containment or fixation), so the overall sense of preventing change is compositional and predictable. This verb+particle pattern is common in English and in many other languages, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents would very likely infer the MWE meaning.

Etymology

The phrasal verb lock in comes from the image of closing and locking something so what is inside cannot get out, like shutting a window to lock warmth in a room. That's why it means 'to enclose or keep something from escaping'.