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a door, gate, lid, drawer, or the like in position when closed, consisting of a bolt or system of bolts propelled and withdrawn by a mechanism operated by a key, dial, etc.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 locked
-
present perfectof lock.present perfect
Used to describe actions that started in the past and continue into or have direct relevance to the present.
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.
They warned that the deal would have locked in tariff rates that were still too high for many industries to be competitive in the long run and unlikely to be negotiated down in the future.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026
Jacobs-Jenkins has recognized perhaps more acutely than any of his peers the way dramatic forms have locked us into set scripts about our lives.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 29, 2026
Memory prices have almost doubled since February while lead times have expanded, Morgan Stanley’s Kim noted, pointing to long-term agreements that have locked up supply.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 11, 2026
For the two months that federal agents have been conducting immigration raids in Minneapolis, Ana, Carlos and their son Luis have locked themselves in at home, feeling trapped behind their own deadbolt.
From Barron's ● Feb. 1, 2026
“And with Jo. Although maybe they’d have locked him up, like her. He’d hate that.”
From "Gathering Blue" by Lois Lowry
