LOCKING Synonyms: 57 Similar and Opposite Words

locking

verb

present participle of lock

as in latching

Related Words

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Dissimilar Words

as in wrapping

Related Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of locking This anti-theft bag converts from tote to crossbody to backpack and is packed with smart security features, including RFID-blocking pockets, locking zippers, and a chair-lock loop. — Aly Walansky, Travel + Leisure, 19 Feb. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for locking

Verb

The dog made it over the fence and began to attack K-9 Diesel, latching onto his neck, prosecutors said.

— Madeline Bartos, CBS News, 16 Sep. 2026
The second saw Isak recalibrate his run in behind a couple of times before latching onto Gakpo’s trivela pass, staying composed as a defender and Scherpen got close before sliding a shot home with his left foot.

— Gregg Evans, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of latching

Verb

Katie Zacharia, the new White House press secretary, faced reporters for the first time Tuesday for a very brief turn at the lectern, taking a handful of questions before abruptly wrapping it up.

— Michelle L. Price, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026
The gold numbering, along with a single gold racing stripe wrapping around the armholes, and a distinct gold-and-white striping pattern running down the right side of both the jersey and the shorts.

— Jon Root OutKick, FOXNews.com, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of wrapping

Verb

Standing up for carriage drivers cannot mean chaining their futures to a dying trade that risks lives every time a horse panics in traffic.

— Al Sharpton, New York Daily News, 14 Oct. 2026
An agent spends at machine speed, retrying, looping and chaining calls without supervision on the AI meter.

— Prashant Jalan, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of chaining

Verb

Teams then cyclize the peptide, folding a linear amino acid chain into a ring, and swap individual amino acids for more stable alternatives.

— Samantha Agate, Kansas City Star, 16 Oct. 2026
For starters, the amino acid must be compatible with the backbone folding up into its planned structure.

— ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of folding

Verb

Still, the satellite’s cooling capabilities mean Google will run their chips for 15 minutes at a time before shutting them down to cool off, NPR reported.

— Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 10 Oct. 2026
Authorities began shutting schools last week to take some steam out of the demonstrations after widespread damage to schools and mounting injuries among staff, students and police.

— NICOLAS GARRIGA, Arkansas Online, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of shutting

Verb

Description This perennial member of the Fabaceae family produces long, slender vines that climb by twining or spread horizontally along the ground.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 9 Oct. 2026
Blooms provide an early source of nectar for hummingbirds, butterflies, and other pollinators, while songbirds shelter and build nests among the twining branches.

— Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 12 July 2026

Definition of twining

Verb

Captured by the Solar Wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer, or SMILE, the footage reveals the full ring of auroral activity encircling Earth's north pole in ultraviolet light, stretching across both the night and day sides of our planet.

— Daisy Dobrijevic, Space.com, 2 Oct. 2026
Dumas watched, charmed, his arms encircling his wife’s shoulders, and accepted an ice-cream sundae in a silver parfait cup.

— Lauren Collins, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2026