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lock down

B1 neutral separable both
In simple words

To put a place under tight control so people cannot freely enter or leave.

Literal meaning: To lock a place so firmly that movement is pressed down to a halt — 'down' implies total restriction.

Meanings

1 B1 neutral

To impose strict restrictions on movement into, out of, or within a place for security or health reasons.

"The authorities locked down the city centre after the bomb threat was called in."

"We went into lockdown. We had no choice."

— Boris Johnson, national address regarding COVID-19, March 23, 2020
Grammar: separable
2 B1 neutral

To secure a building or institution by preventing anyone from entering or leaving during a threat.

"The school was locked down for two hours while police searched the area."

Grammar: separable
3 B2 neutral

To restrict the settings or functions of a device so users cannot change them.

"The IT department locked down the laptops so staff couldn't install personal software."

Grammar: separable
Usage notes

The noun 'lockdown' became globally prominent during the COVID-19 pandemic (2020). Also used in security contexts (school lockdown, prison lockdown). In computing, to 'lock down' a device means to restrict its software settings.

Commonly used with

city school facility prison device border

Forms

Base
lock down
I/you/we/they
3rd person
locks down
he/she/it
Past simple
locked down
yesterday
Past participle
locked down
have + pp
-ing form
locking down
continuous

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Synonyms

quarantine restrict confine seal off shut in impose restrictions

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