1
as in jail
a place of confinement for persons held in lawful custody
the ongoing debate whether drug users should go to prison
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in captivity
the act of confining or the state of being confined
the view that prison does nothing to cure the criminal—if anything, it makes him worse
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of prison
The suspect was also shot and paralyzed, and he was later sentenced to 31 years in prison.
—
Talia Soglin, Chicago Tribune, 26 Apr. 2026
He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
—Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 26 Apr. 2026
Miguel Cruz was sentenced to life in prison in 2021 stemming from the killing of Juanita Zdroik, 39, in Racine County in 2000.
—Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 26 Apr. 2026
Somebody in that neighborhood was going to prison.
—Ray Sanchez, CNN Money, 26 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for prison
Talia Soglin, Chicago Tribune, 26 Apr. 2026
He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
—Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 26 Apr. 2026
Miguel Cruz was sentenced to life in prison in 2021 stemming from the killing of Juanita Zdroik, 39, in Racine County in 2000.
—Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 26 Apr. 2026
Somebody in that neighborhood was going to prison.
—Ray Sanchez, CNN Money, 26 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for prison
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prison
Noun
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He had been booked into the jail in late November on a probation violation warrant.—
Kelly Davis,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Apr. 2026
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She was booked into the county jail and released on $1,000 bond.—
Sean Joseph OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
26 Apr. 2026
Noun
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With each step forward in negotiations toward a deal, Braslavski said his condition gradually improved until he was released in October 2025 after 738 days in captivity.—
Amelie Botbol,
FOXNews.com,
22 Apr. 2026
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The exhibition also explores the impacts of captivity, environmental threats facing certain orca populations and the broader relationship between humans and marine ecosystems, according to museum officials.—
City News Service,
Daily News,
22 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Local flavor The Idaho Botanical Garden is located next to the penitentiary and boasts more than 30 acres of gardens.—
Nathan Diller,
USA Today,
18 Apr. 2026
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The government opened the federal penitentiary on Alcatraz in 1934, hoping to use the remote island to house particularly difficult prisoners, according to the National Park Service.—
Justine McDaniel,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Among the most painful letters are those between Scheidt’s father and his brother, who would also spend time in internment camps.—
Andrew Silow-Carroll,
Sun Sentinel,
28 Apr. 2026
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The few works in the show depicting Stojka’s experiences before and after internment capture the particularity of Romani life.—
Ben Davis,
The New York Review of Books,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Eldan's organization worked with a state senator to help write and pass a law in Delaware that provides compensation for wrongful imprisonment, as well as a stipend and help with housing, food benefits, and health and dental insurance.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
30 Apr. 2026
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Prominent Polish journalist Andrzej Poczobut was freed Tuesday in a 10-person prisoner swap involving Belarus and Poland, ending his eight-year imprisonment.—
Claudia Ciobanu,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
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While the median home price in the Baltimore area is around $360,000, the median asset wealth for a Black family in the city unaffected by incarceration is approximately $2,700.—
Izabela Engel,
Baltimore Sun,
28 Apr. 2026
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Another challenge came in the form of how to describe three and a half years, beginning in March 1942, that Mirikitani spent at the Tule Lake incarceration camp in Northern California, alongside thousands of other Japanese American citizens.—
Tessa Solomon,
ARTnews.com,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
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She was initially ordered to serve her sentence at her daughter’s home, but a 2019 court ruling placed her behind bars for violating the terms of her confinement.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
28 Apr. 2026
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Suhail pleaded not guilty on Wednesday and was released on $5 million bond, ordered to remain on home confinement.—
Todd Feurer,
CBS News,
22 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Prison.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prison. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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