do time
idiom
: to be in a prison for a period of time : to serve all or part of a prison sentence
He has been doing time in a federal penitentiary.
—sometimes used figuratively as do one's timeI've done my time at that terrible job, and now it's time to move on.
Examples of do time in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The restaurant saw this coming; on March 4, management posted a lengthy Instagram statement pleading with the public to not do time for Sandoval’s personal drama.
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Matt Donnelly, Variety, 17 Mar. 2023
Yet defense lawyers like MiAngel Cody, based in Chicago and Miami, question the assumption that the federal system, which was placed on lockdown this week after a gang fight in a high-security unit in Texas, is an easier place to do time.
—New York Times, 2 Feb. 2022
About 70 defendants have had their cases adjudicated to date, and 31 of those will do time in prison.
—The Editorial Board, WSJ, 5 Jan. 2022
They occasionally would be caught and convicted, and do time in prison.
—Isabel Seliger, ProPublica, 24 May 2021
Matt Donnelly, Variety, 17 Mar. 2023
Yet defense lawyers like MiAngel Cody, based in Chicago and Miami, question the assumption that the federal system, which was placed on lockdown this week after a gang fight in a high-security unit in Texas, is an easier place to do time.
—New York Times, 2 Feb. 2022
About 70 defendants have had their cases adjudicated to date, and 31 of those will do time in prison.
—The Editorial Board, WSJ, 5 Jan. 2022
They occasionally would be caught and convicted, and do time in prison.
—Isabel Seliger, ProPublica, 24 May 2021
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'do time.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Do time.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/do%20time. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.
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