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Glite Dictionary
to lock away

to lock away

32 3.4
Put someone or something somewhere they cannot leave and others cannot reach
  • phrasal verb
  • /lɑk əˈweɪ/
translation icon : encerrar
  • "I wonder what else Mom has locked away that might be interesting."
  • keeps locked away
  • safely locked away
  • locked away for years

I was keeping myself really, really locked away.

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Examples

  • Kept well out of sight, locked away, available in emergencies to certain personnel who are sworn to secrecy.

    Fiction book (2001)

  • These things had been deliberately locked away down here and kept away from from consciousness.

  • Otherwise, the money will be locked away, again, but without a key.

    Fortress (2021)

  • Her own jumpsuit was locked away in another part of the lab.

    Fiction book (2001)

  • It ain't healthy keeping those feelings locked away inside.

    X (2022)

  • The files of the House Select Committee on Assassinations are locked away until the year 2029.

    Fiction book (1991)

  • The valuable artifacts were locked away in a secure vault to prevent theft.

  • After the incident, the dangerous animals were locked away in their cages until further notice.

  • To ensure the kids' safety, the candy was locked away out of their reach.

Synonyms

to lock
vsto lock away
∞ 1.0

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

highlights placing someone where they cannot leave for safety reasons
to lock up
vsto lock away
300 4.0

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

emphasizes keeping safe rather than only confinement or punishment
to put away
vsto lock away
115 5.8

To lock someone in prison or a secure place

is used more generally for safe or escape-preventing placement, not only punishment
to lock in
vsto lock away
70 3.9

To keep something inside so it cannot escape by closing or locking

is broader, stressing safe placement rather than the sealing method itself
to shut up
vsto lock away
50 5.5

Lock someone inside a place so they cannot leave

is used more for protective or preventive reasons than strict closure
to padlock
vsto lock away
11 3.4

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

describes the act of placing for safety or escape prevention rather than fastening method
to shut away
vsto lock away
3 5.5

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

focuses more on safety and preventing escape than on hiding alone
to cage in
vsto lock away
2 5.4

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

is broader, applying to secure keeping beyond physical bars or fences
to shut in
vsto lock away
5.1

Surround something completely so it cannot get out or move

is oriented more to keeping safe or preventing escape than mere enclosure

Antonyms

to release
∞ 1.8

To let someone or something go free from being held

to free
337 1.0

To release someone or something that is held

How Confined

to imprison
  • Formal
178 4.2
to lock away
32 3.4
to confine
215 4.2
to detain
  • Formal
169 5.9
to restrict
361 3.1

Surface Forms

lock away infinitive
locked away past
locked away past participle
locking away present participle
locks away third person singular

Morphology

lock + away

The meaning 'to put someone or something in a place where they cannot leave or be accessed' is directly derivable from 'lock' (to secure) combined with 'away' (to another place or out of reach). This motion+securing composition is a regular phrasal-verb pattern in English and is cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows both words will likely infer the MWE meaning.

Etymology

The verb lock away comes from a clear picture: you put something behind a closed door or in a locked box, using a lock and moving it away so no one can reach it. So it means 'to put someone or something where they cannot get out or be reached', and we also use it for hiding feelings or valuables.