lock in

lock in idiom
  1. Enclose, surround, as in The ship was completely locked in ice. [c. 1400s]
  2. Also, lock into. Fix firmly in position, commit to something. This phrase often occurs as be locked in or into, as in She felt she was locked in a binding agreement, or Many of the stockholders are locked into their present positions. [Mid-1900s]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Comments
Improve this definition.
Do you have more to add? Share your linguistic knowledge or observation.
/Register to save your comments.