English · Phrasal verb Attested

lock in

In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.

Sense 1

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: To secure (someone or something) in a locked enclosure.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Bảo mật (ai đó hoặc thứ gì) trong không gian khóa

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Where it’s used: Used American English

The dog won't escape now we've locked him in.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

To fix the value of (something potentially variable).

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Cố định giá trị của (điều gì đó có thể thay đổi)

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

To prevent (someone or something) from escaping, deteriorating, or switching to an alternative.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Ngăn chặn (ai đó hoặc thứ gì) thoát, suy giảm hoặc chuyển sang lựa chọn khác

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).

What does “lock in” mean?

Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: To secure (someone or something) in a locked enclosure.

Is “lock in” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.