phrasal verb🧩 phrasal verb
lock up
to secure with lock
What it means
To secure a building or container with a lock, especially when leaving for the day. It can also mean to put someone in prison or to put away valuables for safekeeping.
Words like “lock up” are exactly the kind of vocabulary our English vocabulary size test measures — find out how many English words you know.
Examples
- Don't forget to lock up the shop before you leave tonight.
- She locked the documents up in the safe behind her desk.
- He was locked up for ten years before new evidence proved his innocence.
- I always lock up my bike, even when I'm just popping into a shop.
Where it comes from
Separable phrasal verb. The 'imprison' meaning is informal but extremely common — 'lock 'em up' became a controversial political slogan in recent decades.
Related phrasal verbs
🧩 Think you know your phrasal verbs?
Take the Phrasal Verbs Test — 20 terms, instant result, no signup.
Take the Phrasal Verbs TestBuilt by the team behind Deep In.