bench warrant

noun

: a warrant issued by a presiding judge or by a court against a person guilty of contempt or indicted for a crime

Examples of bench warrant in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Of that group of 681 defendants, 173 individuals have more than one case in bench warrant status, and two individuals each have five cases in bench warrant status. Barnini Chakraborty, The Washington Examiner, 6 Oct. 2025 After Mitchell failed to appear for a preliminary hearing on May 1, his bond was forfeited and a bench warrant was issued for his arrest. Kansas City Star, 27 Aug. 2025 He was picked up on the active bench warrant on July 24 and remains in custody in the Hennepin County jail. Kristi Miller, Twin Cities, 12 Aug. 2025 That led Justice Archana Rao to order a bench warrant for her arrest. Evan Simko-Bednarski, New York Daily News, 5 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for bench warrant

Word History

First Known Use

1680, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of bench warrant was in 1680

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Bench warrant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bench%20warrant. Accessed 16 Oct. 2025.

Legal Definition

bench warrant

see warrant

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!