prisoners

Definition of prisonersnext
plural of prisoner
as in captives
one that has been taken and held in confinement the prisoners were fed only bread and water twice a day

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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 prisoners In a statement to CNN, the Dera said Singh was entitled to parole like thousands of other prisoners in the state. Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 6 Feb. 2026 The two sides agreed to swap 314 prisoners in the first such exchange in five months, Steve Witkoff said in a post on X on Thursday. Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, Arkansas Online, 6 Feb. 2026 Russia and Ukraine exchanged prisoners after the talks as Zelensky warned of 55,000 Ukrainian troop deaths and cautioned against exploitative peace terms. Kamila Hrabchuk, Los Angeles Times, 5 Feb. 2026 Earlier this month, Venezuela's interim government reported that 116 prisoners had been released, although only about 70 have been verified by the non-governmental organization Justicia, Encuentro y Perdón, according to Bloomberg. Louis Casiano, FOXNews.com, 31 Jan. 2026 The government, however, says more than 600 prisoners have been freed during the same period. Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 31 Jan. 2026 Many of the prisoners, in Camp Algona especially, provided labor on local farms. Kim Norvell, Des Moines Register, 29 Jan. 2026 The operation began in October with the release of 20 living hostages by Hamas and 1,808 Palestinian prisoners by Israel, the ICRC said. Nidal Al-Mughrabi, USA Today, 29 Jan. 2026 Biden's commutations on Monday changed the sentences of 37 of 40 death row prisoners to life in prison without parole. Bart Jansen, USA TODAY, 24 Dec. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prisoners
captives
Noun
  • Both sides were initially uncertain about how to handle enemy captives.
    Drew Gilpin Faust, The Atlantic, 8 Feb. 2026
  • In Empire City, when a hostage crisis erupts inside New York’s landmark Clybourn Building, former Navy SEAL turned firefighter Rhett (Butler), his squad, and his NYPD wife Dani (Atwell) must fight and navigate their way through the building to rescue the captives.
    Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 6 Feb. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Prisoners.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prisoners. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.

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