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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of prison
Crumbley’s husband, James, was also sentenced to 10 years in prison last year.
—
Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone, 31 Jan. 2025
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
Biden also commuted sentences for 37 of 40 convicts on death row in federal prisons, which was largely a policy statement against capital punishment.
—Ron Faucheux, Orlando Sentinel, 19 Jan. 2025
His conviction was for a non-violent offense, but he was sentenced to two years and six months in prison.
—David Faris, Newsweek, 19 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for prison 
Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone, 31 Jan. 2025
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
Biden also commuted sentences for 37 of 40 convicts on death row in federal prisons, which was largely a policy statement against capital punishment.
—Ron Faucheux, Orlando Sentinel, 19 Jan. 2025
His conviction was for a non-violent offense, but he was sentenced to two years and six months in prison.
—David Faris, Newsweek, 19 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for prison
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prison
Noun
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Owens receives credit for time served in jail since 2022, when he was arrested.—
Nate Gartrell,
The Mercury News,
31 Jan. 2025
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Since his arrest, Abreu has been held at the Broward Sheriff’s Office jail.—
Jay Weaver,
Miami Herald,
31 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Naama Levy, one of the four female IDF soldiers released from Hamas captivity on Saturday, is speaking out for the first time.—
Rachel Wolf,
Fox News,
28 Jan. 2025
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On their 477th — and last — day of captivity, the four young women, who had been captured in their pajamas, were paraded in soldiers' uniforms before standing on a stage at the head of the square.—
Willem Marx,
NPR,
25 Jan. 2025
Noun
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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
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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
Noun
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China's ongoing crackdown in Xinjiang has elicited condemnation from the U.S. and a number of its allies, which accuse the People's Republic of indiscriminately detaining Uyghurs in mass internment camps.—
John Yoo and John Shu,
Newsweek,
23 Jan. 2025
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The film also recounts how his father paved the way in making films about the Japanese internment camp experience.—
Randy Myers,
The Mercury News,
22 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Released in 2015 — three years into his incarceration — Viking became Kartel’s fourth consecutive project to reach the top 10 of Reggae Albums (No. 3).—
Kyle Denis,
Billboard,
30 Jan. 2025
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Funds will be steered toward expanding its payor and health system partnerships and providing more services to high-risk populations, including adults in the criminal justice system, where the company sees telehealth as a means of providing consistent care from incarceration to reentry.—
Erin Brodwin,
Axios,
29 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Other times, the artwork responded directly to the men’s day-to-day conditions of confinement.—
Alexandra Moore,
The Conversation,
30 Jan. 2025
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Emanuel Pugh, 26, was charged Tuesday with strangulation, two counts of domestic battery resulting in bodily injury to a pregnant woman, two counts of criminal confinement, and one count of domestic battery.—
Meredith Colias-Pete,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near prison
Cite this Entry
“Prison.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prison. Accessed 9 Feb. 2025.
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