lock on to

British

verb

(of a radar beam) to automatically follow (a target)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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.

A Japanese defence ministry official said the intention of the Chinese J-15 jets was "unclear", but added that there was "no need" to lock on to the Japanese planes if their intention was to locate other aircraft.

From BBC

“It will take us more time to slew from one target attitude to the next, and to be able to lock on to that science target,” said Patrick Crouse, Hubble’s project manager at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center.

From Science Magazine

When a bat has located potential prey, they start clicking more frequently, allowing them to lock on to their targets.

From Science Daily

Initially, Euclid's optics couldn't lock on to stars to take a steady image.

From BBC

The Russian pilot released an air-to-air missile, which successfully launched but failed to lock on to its target, the BBC has been told.

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023