as in jail
a place of confinement for persons held in lawful custody
joked about the time he passed out on the street and woke up in the pokey
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 pokey
The Embraceable Bra provides the support of underwire cups without an uncomfortably firm or pokey feeling.
—
Theresa Holland, Travel + Leisure, 15 Dec. 2023
Dropping the hammer from a stop gets it to 60 mph in just 4.1 seconds, which opens plenty of opportunities for maneuvering around traffic's pokey dullards.
—Austin Irwin, Car and Driver, 31 May 2023
Sir Paul Smith, one of London’s most respected menswear designers and tailors, started his eponymous label in a pokey shop in Nottingham in 1970 but now has 130 boutiques and counting across the globe.
—Mario Abad, Robb Report, 26 May 2023
That harks back to the stagecoach or pokey train eras when a governor could be incommunicado for days or weeks.
—George Skelton, Los Angeles Times, 27 Apr. 2023
See all Example Sentences for pokey 
Theresa Holland, Travel + Leisure, 15 Dec. 2023
Dropping the hammer from a stop gets it to 60 mph in just 4.1 seconds, which opens plenty of opportunities for maneuvering around traffic's pokey dullards.
—Austin Irwin, Car and Driver, 31 May 2023
Sir Paul Smith, one of London’s most respected menswear designers and tailors, started his eponymous label in a pokey shop in Nottingham in 1970 but now has 130 boutiques and counting across the globe.
—Mario Abad, Robb Report, 26 May 2023
That harks back to the stagecoach or pokey train eras when a governor could be incommunicado for days or weeks.
—George Skelton, Los Angeles Times, 27 Apr. 2023
See all Example Sentences for pokey
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pokey
Noun
-
Barrera Hernandez, a resident of Lynn, Massachusetts, was being held by federal authorities without bail, according to the jail's booking records.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
31 Jan. 2025
-
Since his arrest, Abreu has been held at the Broward Sheriff’s Office jail.—
Jay Weaver,
Miami Herald,
31 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
The three men face a mandatory minimum of 10 years and a maximum of life in prison when they’re sentenced June 6 on federal murder and robbery charges.—
John Annese,
New York Daily News,
31 Jan. 2025
-
He has been sentenced him to eight years in prison alongside a series of physical punishments.—
Sara Merican,
Deadline,
31 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
In 2015, Ulbricht was handed a life sentence for his involvement in the enterprise and is currently incarcerated at a high-security penitentiary in Tucson, Arizona.—
Kristen Waggoner,
Newsweek,
21 Jan. 2025
-
He was freed on parole from the Terre Haute, Indiana, federal penitentiary on Nov. 30, 1948, after serving 32 months of his five-year prison sentence.—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near pokey
Cite this Entry
“Pokey.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pokey. Accessed 9 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share