hoosegow

noun

ˈhüs-ˌgau̇ How to pronounce hoosegow (audio)
Definition of hoosegownext
as in jail
a place of confinement for persons held in lawful custody they ended up in the hoosegow for disorderly conduct

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 hoosegow Every day at the high security hoosegow holds the possibility of turmoil and violence. — Kevin Rennie, Hartford Courant, 9 Aug. 2025 In prison, there are Keene’s encounters with a real-life mob boss and a manipulative guard to add tension, and just enough mayhem to remind you that this is no ordinary hoosegow. — Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2022 Carved from a granite cliff overlooking the Colorado River, this was America’s most notorious 19th century hoosegow. — Roger Naylor, azcentral, 4 Oct. 2019 And Blankenship has charged that Manchin, who was governor at the time of the mine explosion, conspired with Barack Obama (not a popular figure in West Virginia) to send him to the hoosegow. — Ed Kilgore, Daily Intelligencer, 20 Mar. 2018 Most famously, in 1968 Johnny Cash serenaded state inmates at the max-security Folsom Prison in California, later turning the hoosegow act into a live album titled At Folsom Prison. — Keri Blakinger, Houston Chronicle, 15 Nov. 2019 Yuma Territorial Prison State Historic Park Carved from granite cliffs overlooking the Colorado River, Yuma Prison was the Old West’s most notorious hoosegow, garnering a fearsome reputation. — Roger Naylor, The Arizona Republic, 1 Jan. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hoosegow
  1. jail
  2. prison
  3. penitentiary
Noun
  • The driver of the fleeing vehicle was booked into the Wyandotte County Detention Center, according to the jail’s inmate listing.
    — Caroline Zimmerman, Kansas City Star, 3 July 2026
  • Epstein served about 13 months in a Florida jail, and was often permitted to leave the jail on work release.
    — Aysha Bagchi, USA Today, 3 July 2026
Definition of jail
Noun
  • The pair, who were detained in March, had already spent four months in prison prior to the punishment, which ultimately reduced their sentence from 25 lashes to 21, the AP said.
    — Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 3 July 2026
  • Taylor, 30, now faces a potential sentence of life in prison.
    — Charna Flam, PEOPLE, 2 July 2026
Definition of prison
Noun
  • Two years ago, a judge freed Anthony Bailey after 27 years in the federal penitentiary, giving him a second chance at life.
    — Carrie Johnson, NPR, 23 June 2026
  • After a federal jury voted to convict him in early 2024, Hernández was sent to a notorious high-security penitentiary in West Virginia to serve his time.
    — Keri Blakinger, ProPublica, 11 June 2026
Definition of penitentiary

Browse Nearby Words

hooray
hoosegow
hoosegows
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Cite this Entry

“Hoosegow.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hoosegow. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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