as in prison
a place of confinement for persons held in lawful custody
sentenced to three years in jail for his crime
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to imprison
to put in or as if in prison
threatened to jail the punks if they so much as jaywalked
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 jail
Mya Abraham, VIBE.com, 29 Sep. 2025
Morledge also ordered the two to repay the amount of the vetoed raises within 90 days or face jail time.
—Arkansas Online, 29 Sep. 2025
Robin Yassin-Kassab, Time, 17 Sep. 2025
But his freedom was short-lived when he was captured and jailed under the Fugitive Slave Act.
—La Risa R. Lynch, jsonline.com, 17 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for jail
Noun
Thug spent over two years in jail and eventually, plead no contest to one count of conspiring to violate the state’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act and one count of participating in criminal street gang activity.
—Mya Abraham, VIBE.com, 29 Sep. 2025
Morledge also ordered the two to repay the amount of the vetoed raises within 90 days or face jail time.
—Arkansas Online, 29 Sep. 2025
Verb
They had been jailed for protesting, organizing, or fighting against Bashar Assad’s regime, which finally collapsed in December after nearly 14 years of revolution and counter-revolutionary war that killed hundreds of thousands of people and uprooted half the population.
—Robin Yassin-Kassab, Time, 17 Sep. 2025
But his freedom was short-lived when he was captured and jailed under the Fugitive Slave Act.
—La Risa R. Lynch, jsonline.com, 17 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for jail
Recent Examples of Synonyms for jail
Noun
-
Even after the state Supreme Court ordered her release, Bailey’s office told the prison warden to ignore the court’s order.—
Jeremy Kohler,
ProPublica,
24 Sep. 2025
-
In this case that trial was the federal conviction in Texas of Eric Kay, who has been sentenced to 22 years in prison for providing drugs to the pitcher that killed him.—
City News Service,
Oc Register,
23 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The president specifically thanked El Salvador for accepting and imprisoning deported migrants in a notorious prison, a partnership that caused backlash after a Maryland man was wrongfully sent there.—
Brett Samuels,
The Hill,
23 Sep. 2025
-
The reportedly downtrodden facility is also where Luigi Mangione, accused of murdering United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson, is imprisoned.—
Madeleine Marr,
Miami Herald,
23 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
In 2005, the penitentiary was downgraded to medium security, and its name changed to the Federal Correctional Institution.—
Randy Mason,
Kansas City Star,
17 Sep. 2025
-
Arcángela and Serafina remain in the women’s penitentiary, continuing to operate illicit businesses and accumulating wealth, but without hope of freedom.—
Isabella Wandermurem,
Time,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The doctor has maintained his innocence but was convicted and incarcerated.—
Quinlan Bentley,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
25 Sep. 2025
-
Dadiomov also said the way these drugs are used among people who are incarcerated is different because of the setting.—
Abigail Brooks,
NBC news,
25 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Jail.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/jail. Accessed 30 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share