as in jails
a place of confinement for persons held in lawful custody
earned six years in a federal pen
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in writers
a person who creates a written work
Alexander Hamilton is reckoned to be the pseudonymous pen behind two thirds of the Federalist Papers
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in houses
to close or shut in by or as if by barriers
remember to pen up the dogs when visitors come over
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as in writes
to compose and set down on paper the words of
though relatively unknown at the time of his death, the composer had penned some of the most memorable show tunes of his era
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Recent Examples of pens
Maya Georgi, Rolling Stone, 24 Apr. 2026
Kids who didn’t bring pens with them scrambled to borrow one from anybody — the adults on the field, their parents in the stands, even a reporter standing nearby.
—Ryan Finley, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Apr. 2026
In 1945, Eversharp, manufacturers of pens and pencils, signed Welles to a sponsorship deal for his radio program, The Orson Welles Almanac, with Welles set to endorse the brand in exchange for support.
—Michelle Duncan, Architectural Digest, 22 Apr. 2026
In the package was a grab bag of small pleasures to ease the difficulty of a lengthy deployment – Kind bars, candy, homemade fudge, Girl Scout cookies, puzzle books, pencils, pens, decks of cards and other games.
—Cybele Mayes-Osterman, USA Today, 16 Apr. 2026
The land, which is designated by Eagle as agricultural-residential, hosts the single-family home, a large barn for four adult horses, staging areas for large farming equipment, and holding pens with several dozen cattle.
—Idaho Statesman, 16 Apr. 2026
Keep livestock in secure pens at night, and install electric fencing around chicken coops and enclosures.
—Sarah Linn, Sacbee.com, 16 Apr. 2026
There are not a lot of options for those who prefer charcoal, graphite or pens.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 14 Apr. 2026
One false move can lead to trouble, and it hap-pens sooner or later to just about everybody who handles these reptiles.
—Dr. C. E. Kuschel, Outdoor Life, 9 Apr. 2026
Justin Kroll, Deadline, 18 Mar. 2026
Yousafzai pens a portrait of a young woman discovering her identity amid immense pressure.
—Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 31 Oct. 2025
The series kicks off when Dale Washberg (Tim Blake Nelson), a member of a powerful Oklahoma family, pens a suicide note, hides it inside a book on his shelves, and then shoots himself in the head.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 22 Sep. 2025
The plot kicks off when the Reverend Mother (a delightful Olivia Colman), who runs the Home for Retired Bears, pens a dire message to Paddington about his beloved Aunt Lucy.
—Troy Aidan Sambajon, Christian Science Monitor, 13 Feb. 2025
Noun
The visual, which was edited by Mikayla LoBasso, was filmed inside of a stationery store, featuring the song’s lyrics written with different pens on paper scattered throughout the store.
—Maya Georgi, Rolling Stone, 24 Apr. 2026
Kids who didn’t bring pens with them scrambled to borrow one from anybody — the adults on the field, their parents in the stands, even a reporter standing nearby.
—Ryan Finley, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Apr. 2026
In 1945, Eversharp, manufacturers of pens and pencils, signed Welles to a sponsorship deal for his radio program, The Orson Welles Almanac, with Welles set to endorse the brand in exchange for support.
—Michelle Duncan, Architectural Digest, 22 Apr. 2026
In the package was a grab bag of small pleasures to ease the difficulty of a lengthy deployment – Kind bars, candy, homemade fudge, Girl Scout cookies, puzzle books, pencils, pens, decks of cards and other games.
—Cybele Mayes-Osterman, USA Today, 16 Apr. 2026
The land, which is designated by Eagle as agricultural-residential, hosts the single-family home, a large barn for four adult horses, staging areas for large farming equipment, and holding pens with several dozen cattle.
—Idaho Statesman, 16 Apr. 2026
Keep livestock in secure pens at night, and install electric fencing around chicken coops and enclosures.
—Sarah Linn, Sacbee.com, 16 Apr. 2026
There are not a lot of options for those who prefer charcoal, graphite or pens.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 14 Apr. 2026
One false move can lead to trouble, and it hap-pens sooner or later to just about everybody who handles these reptiles.
—Dr. C. E. Kuschel, Outdoor Life, 9 Apr. 2026
Verb
Amazon moved fast to board the project and the film will now be a big priority at the studio as Loeb pens the script.
—Justin Kroll, Deadline, 18 Mar. 2026
Yousafzai pens a portrait of a young woman discovering her identity amid immense pressure.
—Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 31 Oct. 2025
The series kicks off when Dale Washberg (Tim Blake Nelson), a member of a powerful Oklahoma family, pens a suicide note, hides it inside a book on his shelves, and then shoots himself in the head.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 22 Sep. 2025
The plot kicks off when the Reverend Mother (a delightful Olivia Colman), who runs the Home for Retired Bears, pens a dire message to Paddington about his beloved Aunt Lucy.
—Troy Aidan Sambajon, Christian Science Monitor, 13 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pens.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pens. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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