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.
Now higher mortgage rates have created a lock-in effect limiting homes for sale.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 19, 2026
In 2024, existing-home sales were 4.06 million, the lowest level since 1995, largely due to mortgage rate lock-in.
From Barron's • Jan. 27, 2026
Granted, he isn’t in a position to point out the role of tariffs in raising construction costs, but he might have named building regulations or mortgage lock-in or environmental rules.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 14, 2026
For many of these homeowners, the lock-in effect doesn’t hold them back from selling their home, because they’re not paying a mortgage on the property.
From MarketWatch • Jan. 7, 2026
“Is the library lock-in over? Are we supposed to go home now?”
From "Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library" 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.
