in lockdown vs. on lockdown

[GoodTaste]

In March, as the coronavirus continued to spread across Italy, authorities announced they would the entire country in lockdown.

Source: Forbes

Yesterday I read Forbes and found the author used "in lockdown" rather than "on lockdown". The latter is what I frequently read, like:

The question here is which is more accurate: "in lockdown" or "on lockdown"?

 

[tedmc]

Both are used though on lockdown is more common. There is also under lockdown.

 

[Tdol]

Outside prisons, it's a fairly new usage for most of us, so there's no fixed preposition yet.

 

[PeterCW]

I would have used "into".

 

[emsr2d2]

they would missing word the entire countryin lockdown.

See above.

 

[GoodTaste]

The missing word is place, which is probably why "in" is used there, because "place ... in ... " is a good collocation.

 

[emsr2d2]

Thanks. With "place", I'd probably use either "in" or "on". With "put" I'd use "in", "on" or "into". "under" would be possible too; it just wouldn't be my preference.

 

[PeterCW]

Thanks. With "place", I'd probably use either "in" or "on". With "put" I'd use "in", "on" or "into". "under" would be possible too; it just wouldn't be my preference.

I think that I mentally inserted "put" into the sentence. I would use "in" with "place".

 

[GoesStation]

Outside prisons, it's a fairly new usage for most of us, so there's no fixed preposition yet.

It was sadly common in pre-Covid American usage to describe the condition a school or office building is in when threatened by an armed intruder. Spectators from the rest of the world will find it perplexing that one frequently-promoted solution is to increase the number of armed people.