lock
noun
a device for securing a door, gate, lid, drawer, or the like in position when closed, consisting of a bolt or system of bolts propelled and withdrawn by a mechanism operated by a key, dial, etc.
have been locking
-
present perfect progressiveof lock.present perfect progressive
Used to describe an action that began in the past, has continued continuously, and is still in progress.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Data center developers and tech companies have been locking down power generation equipment, from turbines to reciprocating engines and fuel cells, as they race to connect data centers to electricity sources as quickly as possible.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 24, 2026
In the past six months or so, CVS, Target and other retailers where Holohan shops have been locking up more everyday items like deodorant and laundry detergent as a way to reduce theft.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 6, 2023
The two neighbours have been locking horns since the M23 rebel group began a major offensive in Congo's eastern borderlands at the end of March.
From Reuters ● Jul. 6, 2022
But as India’s number of confirmed new infections keeps hitting record highs, many states and cities have been locking down again.
From New York Times ● Jul. 16, 2020
"I have been locking baby," lisps little Billy, who, in return, gets rocked himself.
From Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine — Volume 53, No. 328, February, 1843 by Various
