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a door, gate, lid, drawer, or the like in position when closed, consisting of a bolt or system of bolts propelled and withdrawn by a mechanism operated by a key, dial, etc.
is locking
-
present progressiveof lock (3rd person singular).present progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or state that is currently taking place in the immediate 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.
The oil market’s main worry has been the blockage of the strait, which is locking in millions of barrels a day of supply and causing some production to be shut in.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 13, 2026
Meanwhile, China is locking up the silver used to manufacture the solar panels which generate that power.
From MarketWatch ● Dec. 30, 2025
Instead of opening up the site to further interoperability, Musk is locking it down.
From Slate ● Feb. 3, 2023
Scenes like this have become increasingly unusual here, but then so is locking down almost 25 million people.
From BBC ● Apr. 15, 2022
“No. It's my house, and nobody is locking me out of the rooms I pay for.”
From "Starfish" by Akemi Dawn Bowman
