1
as in jails
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 captivities
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of prisons
Iraq's National Center for International Judicial Cooperation said 5,704 suspects from 61 countries who were affiliated with IS were transferred from prisons in Syria.
—
Arkansas Online, 14 Feb. 2026
Ghislaine Maxwell’s lawyer, David Oscar Markus, says mounting media campaigns from federal prisons is hardly as simple as buying a ring light and pressing record.
—Andrew Zucker, HollywoodReporter, 13 Feb. 2026
Dog-training programs in prisons appear to reduce recidivism rates.
—Margret Grebowicz, Fortune, 13 Feb. 2026
Current and former staff have tied many of the issues at Waupun, and in other state prisons, to long-term staffing shortages.
—Kelli Arseneau, jsonline.com, 12 Feb. 2026
For many of the wounded, the threat of disappearing into Iran’s prisons far outweighs the risks of forgoing medical help.
—Cora Engelbrecht, New Yorker, 11 Feb. 2026
Psychologists stationed in state prisons, on the other hand, produce 10 or more pages.
—Julia Coin, Charlotte Observer, 11 Feb. 2026
Across Caracas, outside the Helicoide—one of Venezuela's most notorious prisons—relatives of political prisoners are also speaking up.
—Manuel Rueda, NPR, 10 Feb. 2026
Most data on the risks that clergy face in their roles as religious leaders comes from studies of religious leaders in institutional settings, such as hospitals or prisons.
—Laura E. Alexander, The Conversation, 10 Feb. 2026
Arkansas Online, 14 Feb. 2026
Ghislaine Maxwell’s lawyer, David Oscar Markus, says mounting media campaigns from federal prisons is hardly as simple as buying a ring light and pressing record.
—Andrew Zucker, HollywoodReporter, 13 Feb. 2026
Dog-training programs in prisons appear to reduce recidivism rates.
—Margret Grebowicz, Fortune, 13 Feb. 2026
Current and former staff have tied many of the issues at Waupun, and in other state prisons, to long-term staffing shortages.
—Kelli Arseneau, jsonline.com, 12 Feb. 2026
For many of the wounded, the threat of disappearing into Iran’s prisons far outweighs the risks of forgoing medical help.
—Cora Engelbrecht, New Yorker, 11 Feb. 2026
Psychologists stationed in state prisons, on the other hand, produce 10 or more pages.
—Julia Coin, Charlotte Observer, 11 Feb. 2026
Across Caracas, outside the Helicoide—one of Venezuela's most notorious prisons—relatives of political prisoners are also speaking up.
—Manuel Rueda, NPR, 10 Feb. 2026
Most data on the risks that clergy face in their roles as religious leaders comes from studies of religious leaders in institutional settings, such as hospitals or prisons.
—Laura E. Alexander, The Conversation, 10 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prisons
Noun
-
There have also been fewer inmate deaths in Tarrant County than in Dallas and Harris counties, although those county jails have more capacity — 7,552 beds in Dallas County and 10,466 beds in Harris County, the report shows.—
Matthew Adams,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
13 Feb. 2026
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North Carolina legislators accurately portrayed a gap between how many people Immigration and Customs Enforcement picked up from Mecklenburg and Wake County jails through much of 2025.—
Mary Ramsey,
Charlotte Observer,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The wave of prison violence is happening despite the deployment of military and police forces in several penitentiaries.—
Michael Rios,
CNN Money,
8 Dec. 2025
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After his conviction, Gray was sent to Angola, one of the most violent penitentiaries in the country at the time.—
Richard A. Webster,
ProPublica,
25 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Despite their felony convictions and impending incarcerations, both former Met police career criminals continue to collect their monthly kisses in the mail — $8,850 a month for Cederquist and $6,020 for Butner.—
Howie Carr,
Boston Herald,
4 Jan. 2026
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Baltimore leaders say that 87% of young men enrolled in Roca Baltimore for 24 months have no new incarcerations, while those who stay in the program for three years are 19% less likely to return to a life of crime than other similarly aged men in Maryland.—
Adam Thompson,
CBS News,
4 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Prisons.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prisons. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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