padlock
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
When we arrive he stops at a weathered wooden fence, uses a saw-toothed key to open a padlock, and swings open the gate before pulling into a nearly empty parking lot.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 3, 2026
The funding mechanisms are complicated, the language antiquated and much about the income remains under a padlock of privacy.
From BBC ● May 14, 2026
Not necessarily a designer one, but a handbag with a strong sense of itself — an acid-green baguette bag, a wicker orb with a padlock, a cheetah-print apothecary satchel.
From Salon ● Dec. 20, 2025
The 61-year-old accountant, who lives with his wife and daughter, had activated an alarm and put a padlock on the gate the night before.
From Barron's ● Nov. 4, 2025
It was ringed by hurricane fencing; a padlock sagged from a chain wrapped around the gate.
From "When I Was Puerto Rican" by Esmeralda Santiago
But incidents like this risk their safety, he said, meaning he had to install extra security measures, such as padlocks on the gates.
From BBC ● May 21, 2026
Inspired by a trend in Paris, couples attached metal padlocks and threw the keys into the East River.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 10, 2026
Sensing my interest in the cluster of irregular towers, he stood up, produced a large key ring and began opening a series of padlocks.
From New York Times ● Jun. 5, 2024
There’s also a large metal “Love” sign at the visitors’ center, where people attach padlocks engraved with names and messages of love.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 13, 2024
We had brought padlocks, as instructed, for the lockers in our rooms.
From "Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing" by Ted Conover
The farmer told him the trailer had been sitting padlocked and undisturbed in the corner of a field for years.
From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026
Sindorf left in May 2024 but padlocked the unit behind him, preventing Vivos from taking possession.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 26, 2026
But residents can no longer view the bright autumn colours of the tree of life, a symbol often painted by Behzad, as the wooden door has been padlocked shut.
From Barron's ● Feb. 4, 2026
In March, the clinic doors had been padlocked for two weeks when she developed vomiting and diarrhea.
From Salon ● Dec. 16, 2025
When he walked back outside, she immediately padlocked the door and—looking around the empty lot—started walking back to her truck.
From "We'll Fly Away" by Bryan Bliss
Instead of abruptly padlocking our door, as most restaurants do, we’d give everyone four months’ notice.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 23, 2026
She’s laid off half the staff and joked about padlocking the door.
From Salon ● Oct. 9, 2025
And a law that was passed primarily with climate protesters in its sights, who have taken to gluing themselves to roads and padlocking themselves to this, that and the other.
From BBC ● May 9, 2023
“It would be a terrible shame if someone were to buy it and then start padlocking it. They’ve done so much work to it, it’s quite amazing,” Bell & Co.
From Washington Times ● Nov. 27, 2022
But most of the stores were closed and the owners had pulled the metal gates down over the front windows and doors, padlocking them shut.
From "The Book of Unknown Americans" by Cristina Henríquez
