PEN Synonyms: 192 Similar and Opposite Words

pen 1 of 5

noun (1)

Definition of pen

as in penitentiary

a place of confinement for persons held in lawful custody earned six years in a federal pen

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Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

outside

pen

2 of 5

noun (2)

as in cage

an enclosure with an open framework for keeping animals a goat pen

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pen

3 of 5

noun (3)

as in writer

a person who creates a written work Alexander Hamilton is reckoned to be the pseudonymous pen behind two thirds of the Federalist Papers

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

nonauthor

pen

4 of 5

verb (1)

ˈpen

as in to house

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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pen

5 of 5

verb (2)

as in to write

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 pen

Noun

Essentially the marker version of eyeliner, liquid liner in felt-tip pen form offers a firm applicator that helps create clean lines. — Marci Robin, Allure, 24 July 2026 The Lantus Solostar pen containing 3 milliliters of insulin glargine has been running low for several weeks, though the issue is not technically considered a shortage by the Food and Drug Administration. — O. Rose Broderick, STAT, 24 July 2026

Verb

Last weekend, Paul's office released a trove of journal entries penned by Fauci. — Joe Walsh, CBS News, 29 July 2026 In the beginning, there was Molière (1622—1673), a popular French playwright known for penning comedies like Tartuffe, The Misanthrope, and Les Fourberies de Scapin, and often acting in them. — Lonnie Burstein Hewitt, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for pen

Recent Examples of Synonyms for pen

Noun

From 1873 to 1991, the island served as Costa Rica’s principal penitentiary, where some of the country’s worst criminals were sent to serve often short and torturous sentences.

— Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 24 July 2026
Hodge says he was abused in multiple federal penitentiaries, but was frequently blocked from filing complaints about it.

— Christie Thompson, NPR, 13 July 2026

Definition of penitentiary

Noun

The one nitpick was that the violent main event made use of every weapon but the cage that it was named after.

— Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026
Often, the review said, officers had to subdue aggressive dogs by the neck with a catch pole in order to load them onto patrol vehicles without ramps and walk them up to cages, a departure from industry standards.

— Lucas Robinson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Aug. 2026

Definition of cage

Verb

Designed to be worn as a brooch, it is housed in black-and-bronze packaging featuring a metallic shield emblem, commemorative plaque and the replica pin.

— Anthony DeMarco, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026
An arson charge was lodged Tuesday against a former Army soldier accused of going to a federal building in Manhattan that houses immigration court proceedings and setting a sidewalk fire, igniting fireworks and firing a pellet gun.

— ABC News, ABC News, 21 July 2026

Definition of house

Verb

Streamlined and very much in line with the neutral tones and corporate minimalism of the Westin-Marriott aesthetic, rooms decor here isn’t much to write home about.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 July 2026
But thousands of public comments come from scientists, who warn that the rule, as written, would severely curtail their work treating pediatric cancers, improving maternal health and advancing fundamental research.

— Lisa Song, CNN Money, 28 July 2026

Definition of write

Noun

The virus is shed in wild bird saliva, nasal secretions and feces, so even droppings near the coop can carry it.

— Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 2 July 2026
Replace bedding completely, deep-clean the coop floor, walls, roosts and boxes, inspect hardware cloth and latches and check each bird individually for signs of illness or injury.

— Ryan Brennan, Charlotte Observer, 30 June 2026

Definition of coop

Noun

Unlike the low-tech solution in American author Mary Mapes Dodge's 19th-century story, modern dike patrols are able to plot possible problems caused by drought in an app and send it to authorities who can then quickly carry our repairs.

— ABC News, ABC News, 2 Aug. 2026
Charles Duhigg is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and the author of The Power of Habit, which spent over three years on bestseller lists and has been translated into 40 languages, and Smarter Faster Better, also a bestseller.

— Big Think, Big Think, 2 Aug. 2026

Definition of author

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pelts

pen

penal

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Cite this Entry

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“Pen.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pen. Accessed 4 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of pen

noun (1)

noun (2)

noun (3)

verb (1)

verb (2)

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