an act or instance of becoming unalterable, unmovable, or rigid.
commitment, binding, or restriction.
Enclose, surround, as in The ship was completely locked in ice . [c. 1400s]
Also, lock into . Fix firmly in position, commit to something. This phrase often occurs as , as in She felt she was locked in a binding agreement , or Many of the stockholders are locked into their present positions . [Mid-1900s]
First recorded in 1965–70; noun use of verb phrase lock in
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Global stocks were drifting on Friday as investors opted to lock in some profit, after the peace deal between the U.S. and Iran sparked a broad rally the previous session.
From Barron's • Jun. 19, 2026
Six years on, with both parents working full-time while tending to 1- and 3-year-old boys, here’s the new MO: “We lock in on what needs to get done so that the team can progress.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 19, 2026
The ritual forced Powell to lock in his message before the meeting so he could be prepared for the camera.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 15, 2026
He said that more expected long-term agreements at currently elevated memory prices could help the company lock in predictable revenue.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 4, 2026
She’d lock in her laser-sharp eyes and focus, focus, focus.
From "Dog Squad" by Chris Grabenstein
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
