locked into
Unable to change
Locked into describes being committed to something in a way that's difficult or impossible to change.
You might be locked into a contract, a mortgage rate, or a decision.
The phrase suggests constraint—whether by agreement, circumstance, or habit: Once we chose the venue, we were locked into that date.
Someone locked into a pattern or mindset has become fixed in their ways.
- ensnaredCaught by trickery
- boltedFastened or fled suddenly
- trappedUnable to escape
- boxed inConfined without options
- fixedRestored or immovable
set in stone · irrevocable · predetermined · committed · entrenched · bound · stuck · immobilized · ball and chain · obligated · constrained · tethered · indebted · anchored · inescapable · padlocked · confined · attached