lock up
phrasal verblock up | lock something up
- to make a building safe by locking the doors and windows
- Don't forget to lock up at night.
- He locked up the shop and went home.
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lock somebody up/away
- (informal) to put somebody in prison related noun lock-upTopics Crime and punishmentc2
lock something up/away
- to put something in a safe place that can be locked
- All the valuables were safely locked away.
- to put money into an investment that you cannot easily turn into cash
- Their capital is all locked up in property.