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Definition of sentencenext
as in ruling
a decision made by a court or tribunal regarding a case it has heard he received a light sentence because it was his first offense and he was an otherwise upstanding citizen

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sentence

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verb

as in to condemn
to impose a judicial punishment on the judge sentenced him to a fine of $50 and time served

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of sentence
Noun
For this heinous crime, Brennick receives a punishing sentence at the futuristic, high-tech fortress prison run by the nefarious Men-Tel Corporation. Sergio Pereira, Space.com, 25 Apr. 2026 The man who shot her son received a sentence for 40 years to life in prison. Michael Ruiz, FOXNews.com, 25 Apr. 2026
Verb
Gibson could be sentenced to up to two years in prison as well as fines. Dan Raby, CBS News, 27 Apr. 2026 He was convicted and sentenced to death in 1977, but the Florida Supreme Court granted him a new sentencing hearing in 1982. Rafael Olmeda, Sun Sentinel, 27 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for sentence
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sentence
Noun
  • That worries Thomas Johnson, a Black voter in New Orleans who was at the state Capitol to lobby on unrelated legislation Wednesday when the Supreme Court ruling came down.
    Nicholas Riccardi, Chicago Tribune, 30 Apr. 2026
  • The committee does not explain the reasoning behinds its rulings – the season’s fourth and final batch of rulings were made today – but despite her prominence in the revival’s marketing campaign her role as the wife of Nathan Lane’s Willy Loman apparently was deemed a supporting character.
    Greg Evans, Deadline, 29 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Legal experts condemn the charges against James Comey.
    Elizabeth Robinson, NBC news, 29 Apr. 2026
  • With the world facing profound suffering and division, moral voices calling for peace, restraint and sanctity of human life deserve to be protected and amplified, not condemned.
    Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 29 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Edwin Franqui was convicted of murder, conspiracy to commit murder, assault in the first degree with a firearm, and criminal possession of a firearm in connection with the fatal 2020 drive-by shooting, and then appealed that verdict to state Supreme Court.
    Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 30 Apr. 2026
  • The verdict As if its beautiful beaches and stunning lagoon aren’t enough to lull you into a sense of deep relaxation, Joali Being will stop at nothing to enhance your sense of wellbeing.
    Ann Lee, TheWeek, 30 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Those tensions hit a new high when Reuters published an internal Defense Department email last week that proposed punishing Britain for its position on Iran by reviewing America’s position on the Falkland Islands.
    Freddie Clayton, NBC news, 29 Apr. 2026
  • Under Díaz-Canel, the Cuban government has passed several laws and decrees to punish the sharing of opposition views, including on social media.
    Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 29 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • The Armenian government’s new embrace of Israel is just the latest move that could help doom the increasingly unpopular Pashinyan government, which first came to power in a pro-democracy revolution in 2018.
    Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 25 Apr. 2026
  • In all, that’s quite a record, one that might doom another Democrat’s candidacy.
    Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Apr. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Sentence.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sentence. Accessed 2 May. 2026.

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