Synonyms of behind bars

behind bars

phrase

as in imprisoned

taken and held prisoner

The con artist was behind bars for printing fake checks.

Synonyms & Similar Words

• imprisoned
• jailed
• arrested
• captive
• confined
• captured
• incarcerated
• interned
• kidnapped
• apprehended
• bound
• caught
• trapped
• occupied
• enslaved
• abducted
• subdued
• ensnared
• subjugated
• indentured

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• free
• released
• delivered
• freed
• unrestrained
• liberated
• unconfined
• emancipated
• paroled
• enfranchised

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of behind bars

Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, have been behind bars in New York since early January when forces seized them from their Caracas home in a middle-of-the-night raid. — Philip Marcelo, Fortune, 8 Oct. 2026

But a fresh silk press and a set of lashes can’t erase the long-lasting trauma of life behind bars or end mass incarceration. — Elizabeth Gulino, Allure, 8 Oct. 2026

The book tells the story of Jim Dailey, who was convicted of the murder of 14-year-old Shelly Boggio in 1987 — and the con man who wrongfully put him behind bars. — Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 8 Oct. 2026

When he was sentenced in 2016 to more than a year behind bars, the former history teacher became one of the highest-ranking American politicians ever ordered to prison. — Arkansas Online, 6 Oct. 2026