lockup

noun

lock·up ˈläk-ˌəp

Synonyms of lockup next

: jail

especially : a local jail where persons are detained prior to court hearing

: an act of locking : the state of being locked

Examples of lockup in a Sentence

the firm conviction that juvenile offenders should never be held in adult lockups

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

As noted by the IRS, under the user agreement, the rewards were periodically deposited to the taxpayer’s account (following any applicable lockup or waiting period). —

Timothy M. Todd, Forbes, 31 Dec. 2024 Shares in Truth Social have hovered around $14 in the week following the expiration of the company's lockup provision, which prevented Trump and other early investors from selling any of their shares for the six months following the company's public offering. —

Peter Charalambous, ABC News, 27 Sep. 2024 But Trump Media warned that other early investors were planning to cash out as soon as the lockups expired. —

Kevin Breuninger, CNBC, 24 Sep. 2024 Traditionally, these strategies have faced a stiff barrier to entry, including high fees and lengthy lockup periods when capital can’t be withdrawn. —

Sarah Min, CNBC, 9 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for lockup

Word History

First Known Use

1746, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler

The first known use of lockup was in 1746

See more words from the same year

Cite this Entry

Style

“Lockup.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lockup. Accessed 27 Jan. 2025.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

lockup

noun

lock·up -ˌəp

: prison sense 2, jail

Legal Definition

lockup

noun

lock·up

: a cell or group of cells (as in a courthouse) or jail where persons are held prior to a court hearing compare house of correction, house of detention, jail, penitentiary, prison

: the tactic of arranging with a friendly party an option to buy a valuable portion of one's corporate assets in order to discourage a takeover by another party