Definition of jailbirdnext
as in prisoner
a person convicted as a criminal and serving a prison sentence had spent most of his sorry life as a jailbird in hoosegows across the South

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 jailbird But these jailbirds aren’t using their own fingers to fire off missives or create clones. Andrew Zucker, HollywoodReporter, 13 Feb. 2026 And these seven crooked cops are just the tip of the MSP jailbird iceberg. Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 17 Jan. 2026 At no point has the jailbird shown contrition for her crimes. Krista Kafer, Denver Post, 1 Dec. 2025 Her jumpsuit is a couture twist on the cartoonish striped getup of a jailbird. Jemal Polson, CNN Money, 8 May 2025 Becomes a jailbird at a high-security zoo after he’s caught, with the newest Wallace & Gromit film, Vengeance Most Fowl, finding Feathers, all these years later, hell-bent on getting even with the duo who locked him up. Devon Ivie, Vulture, 6 Jan. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for jailbird
Noun
  • The story centers on a unit of nine soldiers – drawn from across the military hierarchy – dispatched to Tsushima Island to bring home Koreans taken prisoner by Japanese pirate groups.
    Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 6 May 2026
  • The poor conditions were also the backdrop for a push in 1980 by the New Progressive Party governor at the time, Carlos Romero Barceló, to codify voting rights for prisoners.
    Raquel Rutledge, ProPublica, 5 May 2026
Noun
  • Rylaarsdam is currently in custody at the Las Colinas Detention Facility in San Diego County, where she has been held without bail since her arrest, according to inmate records.
    Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 12 May 2026
  • Faisal and an English-speaking friend waited through the leaden afternoon, inquiring at the front desk every half-hour, monitoring a website that indicates when inmates are released.
    Dan Barry, New York Times, 12 May 2026
Noun
  • The Wu-Tang Clan founder directed, wrote and produced the revenge thriller that follows an ex-military convict (Shameik Moore) seeking redemption in a small town.
    Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 3 May 2026
  • Before that, jury recommendations had to be unanimous, a requirement that allowed a single dissenting juror to spare the life of a convict and condemn him to life in prison.
    Rafael Olmeda, Sun Sentinel, 27 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • What begins as a small con deepens when the painter’s shrewd agent (Gilles Lellouche) spots an opportunity, encouraging Suzanne to continue the deception as a way to revive his client’s creativity — and bankroll them both.
    Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 12 May 2026
  • There are many cons to dating a succubus.
    Erin La Rosa, Los Angeles Times, 12 May 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Jailbird.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/jailbird. Accessed 14 May. 2026.

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