chain gang

noun

plural chain gangs
: a group of people (such as convicts) chained together especially as an outside working party

Examples of chain gang in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In addition to his wife vanishing, he was illegally captured by Joe Turner, the brother of the governor of Tennessee, and forced to work on a chain gang for seven years. Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 26 Apr. 2026 Fulton County's chain gang was in operation until 1943. Alia Pharr, AJC.com, 8 Jan. 2026 That scene was not there and neither was the chain gang scene. Destiny Jackson, Deadline, 18 Dec. 2025 Begging or drunkenness could mean a week to a couple of months on a chain gang, grading and paving roads, fixing bridges, hauling debris, and otherwise helping to construct the fast-growing city. JSTOR Daily, 21 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for chain gang

Word History

First Known Use

1813, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of chain gang was in 1813

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Chain gang.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chain%20gang. Accessed 2 May. 2026.

Legal Definition

chain gang

noun
: a group of convicts chained together especially to work outside a prison
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