lock up
To close and lock a place so no one can get in, or to put someone in prison.
Meanings
To close and lock all the doors and windows of a building before leaving.
"Can you lock up the office when you leave? I have to go early today."
To put someone in prison or in a secure facility.
"The judge decided to lock the fraudster up for five years."
"They're going to lock me up if they find that letter."
— Agatha Christie, 'The Murder at the Vicarage', 1930
To store something in a secure, locked place.
"She locked up her jewellery in the safe before going on holiday."
To tie up capital or resources so they cannot be freely used (financial/figurative sense).
"Too much of their money is locked up in property that they can't easily sell."
Very common in everyday British and American English. When meaning 'imprison', it is often used informally or in news contexts ('they locked him up'). The noun form 'lockup' (or 'lock-up') refers to a small jail or a garage/storage unit.
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Forms
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