1 C1 neutral
To restrict access to an area or section by securing it with a lock.
"The maintenance crew locked off the top floor of the building during the renovation."
separable
lock off
C1 neutral separable transitive
To seal or restrict access to an area by locking barriers or controls.
In plain English
To close off and lock an area so nobody can enter.
What does "lock off" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 C1 neutral
(Film/TV production) To fix a camera in a completely stationary position for a shot.
"The director asked the operator to lock off the camera for the long static wide shot."
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To lock something away from access — 'off' indicates separation or exclusion.
Actually means
To close off and lock an area so nobody can enter.
Usage tip
Used in technical, construction, and security contexts. Also appears in broadcasting and television production ('lock off a camera shot' means to fix the camera in a stationary position). The camera sense is common in film production vocabulary.
Words that pair with "lock off"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
area section camera zone corridor shot
How to conjugate "lock off"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
lock off
I/you/we/they
3rd person
locks off
he/she/it
Past simple
locked off
yesterday
Past participle
locked off
have + pp
-ing form
locking off
continuous
Hear "lock off" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "lock off" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Other ways to say "lock off"
Swap in when you want variety — tap a linked one to explore it.
Keep exploring
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