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View synonyms for

lockdown

[lok-doun]

noun

  1. the confining of prisoners to their cells, as following a riot or other disturbance.

    The prison lockdown continues, more than three weeks after the death of a guard.

  2. a security measure taken during an emergency to prevent people from leaving or entering a building or other location: The governor implemented a statewide lockdown to slow the spread of the virus—residents may not leave their homes for nonessential activities.

    The school remains under lockdown due to police activity in the area.

    The governor implemented a statewide lockdown to slow the spread of the virus—residents may not leave their homes for nonessential activities.

    The army base was on lockdown after a report of shots fired.

  3. a freeze or pause.

    Banks aren’t lending during this credit lockdown.



lockdown

/ ˈɒˌəʊ /

noun

  1. a security measure in which those inside a building such as a prison, school, or hospital are required to remain confined in it for a time

    many schools remained under lockdown yesterday

“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
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Word History and Origins

Origin of lockdown1

First recorded in 1970–75; lock 1 + -down, probably extracted from nouns formed from phrasal verbs, such as crackdown, shutdown, etc.
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

They bought the building in February 2020, just weeks before lockdowns shuttered the world.

From

Someday we Americans may stop quarreling over our response to the COVID-19 pandemic — lockdown orders, social distancing and so forth — but one category of debate may never become immune to second-guessing.

From

She became fascinated with the creatures in her garden during the coronavirus lockdowns and started leaving out nuts to attract mice and voles.

From

He's attended the same church for 24 years and says congregation numbers remained steady until the Covid lockdown.

From

But there have also been long fallow periods, including a 30-year wait for the league title before the pandemic season in 2019/20, which could not be celebrated with a parade due to lockdown measures.

From

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