locking away
Putting under key
Locking away means putting something in a secure place and fastening it there, typically to protect it or prevent access: She locked away her jewelry before the trip.
The phrase extends to confinement of people—prisoners locked away in cells, or someone locked away in a psychiatric facility.
Figuratively, to lock away feelings or memories is to suppress them, keeping them hidden from others or even oneself: He locked away his grief and never spoke of her again.
- repressionUnconscious blocking of thoughts
- incarcerationConfinement in jail
- secrecyPractice of hiding information
- imprisonmentLegal detention in jail
- vaultSecure storage chamber
detention · compartmentalization · shut out · solitary confinement · encryption · denial · redaction · custody · barricade · internment · seal · sealed shut · behind bars · safe · padlock · bottling up · censorship · deadbolt
locking awayopening up
Becoming less guarded
unlocking · sharing · distributing · offering · leaving out
locking awayreleasing
Allowing to escape
freeing · liberating · letting out · setting free · unleashing
locking awayrevealing
Making known what's hidden
displaying · exhibiting · disclosing · exposing · unveiling
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