jailbird

noun

ˈjāl-ˌbərd How to pronounce jailbird (audio)
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 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 See All Example Sentences for jailbird
Recent Examples of Synonyms for jailbird
  1. prisoner
  2. inmate
  3. convict
  4. con
Noun
  • Commuting the death sentences of all 548 state prisoners awaiting execution pushes the bounds of his authority once again.
    — Taryn Luna, Los Angeles Times, 7 Nov. 2026
  • In July, Florida executed two prisoners on the same day, the first double execution by a single state in nearly a decade.
    — Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of prisoner
Noun
  • What readers are saying The comments express admiration for the artistic talent of inmates who create portraits of shelter dogs, highlighting the positive impact of the program on both the inmates and the dogs.
    — Sydney Page, Washington Post, 1 Nov. 2026
  • Eight are at least 80 years old, including the longest-serving death row inmate from South Florida, James Franklin Rose, 80, from Pompano Beach.
    — Orlando Sentinel, The Orlando Sentinel, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of inmate
Noun
  • Missouri state troopers have captured an escaped convict who broke free from a Tennessee prison last week, a highway patrol spokesperson told Fox News Digital Tuesday.
    — Michael Ruiz, FOXNews.com, 3 Nov. 2026
  • Buchanan, 72, had been incarcerated since 2004 for kidnapping a convict who was harassing a corrupt prison guard.
    — Matthew Ormseth, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of convict
Noun
  • Put it all together, and the CBO study provided grist both for both the pro and con camps.
    — Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 10 Nov. 2026
  • The handout compared the pros and cons of the vitamin K shot with oral vitamin K drops, noting that the drawbacks of the drops are that some babies may not be able to absorb them or may spit them up.
    — Duaa Eldeib, ProPublica, 8 Nov. 2026
Definition of con

Browse Nearby Words

jail
jailbird
jailbirds
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

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

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