death row

noun

: a prison area housing inmates sentenced to death
usually used with on
prisoners waiting on death row

Examples of death row 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.
Ramirez was finally captured in August 1985 and ultimately convicted of all 43 charges for which he was charged; the killer died in prison in 2013 while serving on death row. Michael Schneider, Variety, 14 Oct. 2025 Texas has been known to relabel its drugs’ beyond-use dates, a practice that has been criticized in recent years by death row inmates who have alleged in court that the drugs are expired and unsafe. Erik Ortiz, NBC news, 14 Oct. 2025 There are now 24 men remaining on South Carolina’s death row after Singleton's death. Greg Norman, FOXNews.com, 11 Oct. 2025 Near the end of Robert Altman’s savage showbiz satire, Roberts appears briefly as herself, playing a part in a movie-within-a-movie about a woman on death row. Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 10 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for death row

Word History

First Known Use

1894, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of death row was in 1894

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Cite this Entry

“Death row.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/death%20row. Accessed 22 Oct. 2025.

Legal Definition

death row

noun
: a prison area housing inmates sentenced to death
death row adjective
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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