land-locked
- Adjective:
- Surrounded by land: "land-locked" describes a country, region, or body of water that is entirely surrounded by land, with no direct access to the open sea or ocean.
- (It has no coastline or seaport.)
- (The lake is enclosed by land on all sides.)
- (They must use ports in other countries to access the sea.)
"land-locked state": a political entity (such as a state or province) that is completely surrounded by land, often referring to a region within a larger country.
- Utah is a land-locked state in the western United States. (It has no coastline.)
"land-locked sea": a sea that is enclosed by land, such as the Caspian Sea or the Dead Sea.
- The Caspian Sea is a land-locked sea bordered by five countries. (It is a large inland body of water.)
Landlocked (adj): the standard spelling without a hyphen; used interchangeably with "land-locked."
- Paraguay is a landlocked nation in South America. (It is entirely surrounded by land.)
Landlock (verb): to surround with land, making access to the sea impossible.
- The rising sea levels could landlock some coastal islands. (The islands would become surrounded by land.)
Inland: situated in the interior of a country, away from the coast.
- The inland regions are often land-locked. (They are far from the sea.)
Enclosed: surrounded or closed off on all sides.
- The land-locked valley is enclosed by mountains. (The valley is completely surrounded.)
"Land-locked and sea-bound": a contrasting phrase used to describe a country that is both surrounded by land and dependent on maritime routes.
- Despite being land-locked, the country is sea-bound in its trade needs. (It relies on the sea for commerce.)
"To be land-locked in opportunity": a metaphorical use meaning to be restricted or isolated in terms of options or growth.
- The small village felt land-locked in opportunity, with no major cities nearby. (It was isolated from economic development.)