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to lock in
01
to shut someone or oneself in a place by locking the door
Grammatical Information
Composition
phrasal
Action verb
Regular
Separable
Particle
in
Base verb
lock
Present tense
lock in
3rd person singular
locks in
Present participle
locking in
Past simple
locked in
Past participle
locked in
Examples
During the storm, they locked themselves in the cabin for safety.
02
to secure something tightly in place, preventing leakage, loss, or alteration
Examples
The airtight jar locked in the freshness of the cookies.
03
to make something fixed or certain, preventing it from changing
Examples
The investor locked in a favorable exchange rate for their currency transaction, ensuring a predictable outcome.
04
to enter a state of total focus or concentration on a task
Slang
What does "to lock in" mean in focus slang?
The phrase "to lock in" means to enter a state of intense focus or concentration on a task, blocking out distractions. The structure is a metaphor where "lock" implies securing attention in place, and "in" indicates full commitment to the task. It is informal slang commonly used in academic, work, sports, and gaming contexts to describe switching into a highly focused performance mode.
Examples
I locked in and finished the report ahead of schedule.
