impound
verb
im·pound
im-ˈpau̇nd 
impounded; impounding; impounds
1
a
: to shut up in or as if in a pound : confine
b
: to seize and hold in the custody of the law
c
: to take possession of
she was dismissed and her manuscript impounded—
Jonathan Weiner
Jonathan Weiner2
: to collect and confine (water) in or as if in a reservoir
Examples of impound in a Sentence
The police impounded her car because it was illegally parked.
impound evidence for a trial
Recent Examples on the Web
Both were towed and impounded, according to the incident report.
—Nathan Pilling, Kansas City Star, 5 Apr. 2024
More recently, tougher enforcement by the Taiwanese Coast Guard, which has seized and impounded intruding Chinese vessels, helped reduce the violations, Taiwanese officials said.
—Amy Chang Chien, New York Times, 24 Mar. 2024
The dead raccoon, which was found on Friday near a family cat on Timber Ridge Road, was investigated and impounded by the Gaston County Animal Care and Enforcement Specialists.
—Jeff A. Chamer, Charlotte Observer, 6 Mar. 2024
Sidewalk vendors that violate the city’s laws, including not having business permits, taking up too much space on sidewalks, or not disposing of grease properly could have their equipment taken away and impounded.
—Michael Slaten, Orange County Register, 15 Feb. 2024
In March 2020, Goldy urged that prosecutor to sign an order releasing the woman’s property that had been impounded, according to the indictment.
—Daniel Wu, Washington Post, 24 Aug. 2023
Brown said police sat by the RV for half a day waiting to see if anyone tried to drive it, before taking it to impound.
—Sarah Al-Arshani, USA TODAY, 26 Mar. 2024
Anaheim’s City Council is giving city officials the power to impound sidewalk vendors’ equipment, with leaders raising safety concerns about an increase in vendors selling food and various items along busy city streets and sidewalks.
—Michael Slaten, Orange County Register, 15 Feb. 2024
Hollman's truck, impounded after his death, contained nine bags of marijuana, about 28 grams (1 ounce) of an unknown substance, 20 clear bags, a scale, a gun and other personal items, according to a police report obtained by The Atlanta-Journal Constitution.
—CBS News, 10 Oct. 2023
Nathan Pilling, Kansas City Star, 5 Apr. 2024
More recently, tougher enforcement by the Taiwanese Coast Guard, which has seized and impounded intruding Chinese vessels, helped reduce the violations, Taiwanese officials said.
—Amy Chang Chien, New York Times, 24 Mar. 2024
The dead raccoon, which was found on Friday near a family cat on Timber Ridge Road, was investigated and impounded by the Gaston County Animal Care and Enforcement Specialists.
—Jeff A. Chamer, Charlotte Observer, 6 Mar. 2024
Sidewalk vendors that violate the city’s laws, including not having business permits, taking up too much space on sidewalks, or not disposing of grease properly could have their equipment taken away and impounded.
—Michael Slaten, Orange County Register, 15 Feb. 2024
In March 2020, Goldy urged that prosecutor to sign an order releasing the woman’s property that had been impounded, according to the indictment.
—Daniel Wu, Washington Post, 24 Aug. 2023
Brown said police sat by the RV for half a day waiting to see if anyone tried to drive it, before taking it to impound.
—Sarah Al-Arshani, USA TODAY, 26 Mar. 2024
Anaheim’s City Council is giving city officials the power to impound sidewalk vendors’ equipment, with leaders raising safety concerns about an increase in vendors selling food and various items along busy city streets and sidewalks.
—Michael Slaten, Orange County Register, 15 Feb. 2024
Hollman's truck, impounded after his death, contained nine bags of marijuana, about 28 grams (1 ounce) of an unknown substance, 20 clear bags, a scale, a gun and other personal items, according to a police report obtained by The Atlanta-Journal Constitution.
—CBS News, 10 Oct. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'impound.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near impound
Cite this Entry
“Impound.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/impound. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
impound
verb
im·pound
im-ˈpau̇nd
1
: to shut up in or as if in an enclosed place
2
: to seize and hold in the hands of the law
impound evidence for a trial
impoundment
noun
-ˈpau̇n(d)-mənt
Legal Definition
impound
transitive verb
im·pound
im-ˈpau̇nd
: to take control of in the custody of the law or by legal authority
impound a vehicle
the police impounded the dwelling until the search warrant was obtained
impoundment
noun
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