checking locks
Testing door latches
Checking locks is the act of verifying that doors, windows, or other secured points are properly fastened.
The phrase often implies repetitive or compulsive behavior—someone who checks locks multiple times before leaving home or going to bed.
In discussions of anxiety or OCD, checking locks serves as a common example of reassurance-seeking rituals: She spent twenty minutes checking locks before she could relax.
- deadboltKey-operated door lock
- latchDoor-securing catch
- secureProtected from harm
- doorHinged room barrier
- front doorPrimary household entry point
keys · turn the key · handle · jiggle · bolt · safety · home security · paranoia · routine · nighttime · window · knob · click · anxiety · burglar · rattle · turning · metal
- compulsionsOCD, compulsion, obsession, handwashing, hand washing
- OCDOCD, obsession, obsessions, compulsion, compulsions
- bedtimesleeping, pajamas, napping, resting, bedtime story
checking lockspicking locks
Unauthorized entry technique
breaking in · unlocking · breaking and entering · intruding · trespassing
checking, locks, check, lock, checked, checker, checkers, checks, checkable