lock away
phrasal verb·1 sense·particle away
Meanings
Secure inside something locked
Why “away”? A person or thing is placed somewhere and kept there, often hidden or saved for later.
“He locked the documents away in a safe.”
“She locked the jewellery away in a drawer.”
Don't confuse with
Lock away means secure inside something locked. Lock in means confine by locking.
Test yourself
“He locked the documents away in a safe.” What does it mean?
Nearby in the meaning map
Sink In connects verbs by particle pattern, contrast pairs, and shared base verbs.
lock in
A contrast learners often mix up
Confine by locking; Make fixed or agreed; Focus fully without interruption
file away
Same away pattern: storage
Store in an organised system
hide away
Same away pattern: storage
Put something in a secret or private place
put away
Same away pattern: storage
Return something to its proper place; Save money for later; Send someone to prison or a mental hospital
salt away
Same away pattern: storage
Save money discreetly for the future
squirrel away
Same away pattern: storage
Save bit by bit, hidden away
stash away
Same away pattern: storage
Hide something in a safe place
store away
Same away pattern: storage
Keep in storage for the future
Sink In — iOS & Android
Practice “lock away” in Sink In
Drill “lock away” and 1,300+ other phrasal verbs with spaced repetition, organised by the particle patterns that connect them.
- Learn the pattern behind dozens of verbs at once — not one-off translations.
- Spaced repetition (SM-2) brings each meaning back right before you forget.
- Four practice modes train recall and discrimination, not just recognition.
