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Synonyms

lock, stock, and barrel

Cultural  
  1. The whole of anything: “Our new manager wants to reorganize the entire operation, lock, stock, and barrel.” The lock, stock, and barrel are the three parts of a rifle.


lock, stock, and barrel Idioms  
  1. The entirety; all of something. For example, Jean moved out of the house, lock, stock, and barrel. This expression alludes to the three elements of a firearm—the lock or firing mechanism, the stock or handle, and the barrel or tube. [Early 1800s]


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.

See Examples For:

“The larger schools in the larger towns and cities just bought that lock, stock and barrel, and they ended their programs.”

From Seattle Times Mar. 12, 2024

Kennedy’s previous claims otherwise were clearly a total fiction that the court bought lock, stock, and barrel.

From Slate Sep. 7, 2023

Ducey's team took it over lock, stock and barrel.

From Salon Dec. 4, 2021

The directors of the Laguna Playhouse saw “Yoga Play” last spring at the San Francisco Playhouse and loved the production so much they invited it, lock, stock and barrel, down to the O.C. sojourn.

From Los Angeles Times Oct. 4, 2019

We sold the zoo, lock, stock and barrel.

From "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel

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