headlock

American

[hed-lok] / ˈhɛdˌlɒk /

noun

Wrestling.

a hold in which a wrestler locks an arm around the opponent's head.

headlock British

/ ˈhɛdˌlɒk /

noun

a wrestling hold in which a wrestler locks his opponent's head between the crook of his elbow and the side of his body

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of headlock

First recorded in 1900–05; head + lock ¹

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.

From behind, a bystander—the man Australian officials identified as Ahmed—bear-tackled the assailant, put him in a headlock and stripped his gun from him.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 15, 2025

A man having his hair cut leapt out of the barber's chair and ran to help a police officer who was being wrestled to the ground in a headlock.

From BBC • Dec. 20, 2024

In his latest on-screen antic, ‘Wheel of Fortune’ host Pat Sajak put a contestant in a partial headlock after the man won more than $75,000.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 12, 2023

No wonder Messi held Álvarez in a playful headlock after his first goal and hugged him hard after the second.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 13, 2022

Redemption grinned as he teased his parent, and Whis grabbed him in a gentle headlock before letting him go.

From "Pet" by Akwaeke Emezi

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023