confined 1 of 2

adjective

kən-ˈfīnd How to pronounce confined (audio)
Definition of confinednext
as in imprisoned
taken and held prisoner confined citizens have basic rights under that nation's constitution

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

confined

2 of 2

verb

past tense of confine
1
as in restricted
to set bounds or an upper limit for will confine my remarks to the subject we came here to discuss

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in jailed
to put in or as if in prison the accused was confined until the trial could take place

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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 confined
Adjective
Its strength lies in analyzing vast datasets within a confined set of rules and providing recommendations based on observed patterns. — Ryan Johnson, Forbes.com, 13 May 2026 Ignoring Vertical Space Keeping everything at eye level creates a compressed, horizontal feel that can make a small bathroom seem shorter and more confined. — Angelika Pokovba, Martha Stewart, 23 Apr. 2026
Verb
The researchers studied electrons confined to a 70-nanometer-wide layer of gallium arsenide. — Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 27 Sep. 2026 As in Virginia Woolf’s novel, the film’s present-day action is confined to a single day, interrupted by flashbacks to a languid summer vacation three decades past. — Joe Reid, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for confined
Recent Examples of Synonyms for confined
  1. imprisoned
  2. restricted
  3. jailed
  4. captive
  5. limited
  6. interned
  7. arrested
  8. incarcerated
Adjective
  • The company is required by its contract and state policy to provide mental health treatment, education and other services to imprisoned youth.
    — Paige Pfleger, ProPublica, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Last year, the PKK — considered a terrorist organization by Turkey and its Western allies — announced its decision to disband, following a call by its imprisoned leader, Abdullah Ocalan.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of imprisoned
Verb
  • The war has severely restricted energy shipments out of the Middle East, sending oil prices soaring and raising concerns about accelerating inflation globally.
    — Azhar Sukri, CNBC, 26 Sep. 2026
  • She was denied asylum under a Biden-era border policy that restricted eligibility for many migrants who crossed the southern border outside official pathways.
    — Mick Krever, CNN Money, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of restricted
Verb
  • Another suspect in the 2023 attacks, Italian anti-fascist activist Ilaria Salis, was jailed in Hungary for over a year following the assaults, resulting in a diplomatic dispute between Rome and Budapest over her treatment in detention.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Both were jailed on misdemeanor battery charges and have since been released.
    — David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of jailed
Adjective
  • The woman accused of keeping him captive, 58-year-old Kimberly Sullivan, is expected to head to trial after turning down two plea deals during a hearing in Waterbury Superior Court earlier this month.
    — Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 26 Sep. 2026
  • While captive whales often live only into their 30s, Marino said attributing their deaths to age fails to acknowledge the reality of why their lifespans are shorter.
    — Lila Hempel-Edgers, Chicago Tribune, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of captive
Verb
  • In its September North America market update, the carrier said demand from India, the Middle East and Africa into North America remained strong while capacity was limited, advising customers to book at least six weeks ahead.
    — Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Existing rules limited how much people can be paid for the electricity these appliances provide for the grid.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of limited
Verb
  • Peyton Stewart was a 21-year-old international business major who grew up with her sister in Westwood, New Jersey, studied abroad in London and interned at TikTok.
    — Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Johnson hired a young Ossoff as a staffer on the recommendation of the late Georgia Congressman John Lewis, the civil rights icon Ossoff interned for and considered a mentor.
    — Sam Gringlas, NPR, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of interned
Adjective
  • In the case of the arrested teenager, who was detained in early August, agents pulled him and another man out of a truck in the 7-Eleven parking lot.
    — Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of arrested
Verb
  • His attorney requested that he be incarcerated at FPC Yankton, a minimum-security federal prison camp in South Dakota.
    — Judy L. Thomas, Kansas City Star, 1 Oct. 2026
  • One person was allegedly able to gamble $2,400 while incarcerated under Troutman’s watch.
    — Sofia Saric, Miami Herald, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of incarcerated

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confined
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Cite this Entry

“Confined.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/confined. Accessed 3 Oct. 2026.

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