1
as in captivity
the act of confining or the state of being confined
some wild animals take to confinement very poorly
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in restriction
the act or practice of keeping something (as an activity) within certain boundaries
the confinement of commercial development to one stretch of roadway is intended to help preserve the town's rural character
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of confinement
Welty's death is the subject of an ongoing lawsuit against DCS in which family members allege that DCS prematurely closed three of six anonymous complaints brought against Kinsleigh's mother, Toni McClure, who has since been charged with murder and criminal confinement.
—
Kayla Dwyer, IndyStar, 19 Feb. 2026
He was also ordered to serve six months of home confinement and complete 500 hours of community service, FBI officials said.
—Jt Moodee Lockman, CBS News, 9 Feb. 2026
As a result of the parents' confinement, the family dog also only goes outside in a limited capacity.
—Alicia Victoria Lozano, NBC news, 31 Jan. 2026
Benoit and Martinez were released on bond to home confinement, officials said.
—Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 31 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for confinement
Kayla Dwyer, IndyStar, 19 Feb. 2026
He was also ordered to serve six months of home confinement and complete 500 hours of community service, FBI officials said.
—Jt Moodee Lockman, CBS News, 9 Feb. 2026
As a result of the parents' confinement, the family dog also only goes outside in a limited capacity.
—Alicia Victoria Lozano, NBC news, 31 Jan. 2026
Benoit and Martinez were released on bond to home confinement, officials said.
—Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 31 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for confinement
Recent Examples of Synonyms for confinement
Noun
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The Ukrainian government then runs a search query, and replies with whether the subject is in Ukrainian captivity, has been confirmed dead, has been returned to Russia in a prisoner exchange, or is not included in any of those databases.—
Sophie Spiegelberger,
New Yorker,
24 Feb. 2026
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An aardvark brought to the Brookfield Zoo from South Africa became only the second creature of its kind held in captivity in the United States.—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
23 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Beijing has balked at any restrictions on its smaller but growing nuclear arsenal and denies carrying out such a nuclear test.—
Jamey Keaten,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Feb. 2026
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In September, a state appeals court ordered Huntington Beach to update its housing element within 120 days and allowed state regulators to impose restrictions on the city’s control over permitting and development in the meantime.—
Claire Wang,
Oc Register,
24 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Fewer internment survivors remain each year.—
Jake Goodrick,
Sacbee.com,
19 Feb. 2026
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The core of this CW series is a romance between a human girl, Emery, and an alien boy called Roman who met a decade earlier when the extraterrestrial visitors first crash-landed on Earth and were rounded up and placed in an internment camp.—
Jeff Spry,
Space.com,
14 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Given the company’s culture, some outside commentators have speculated that at least some Anthropic staff will resign if the company gives in to Hegseth’s demands and drops the limitations currently built into its government contracts.—
Jeremy Kahn,
Fortune,
26 Feb. 2026
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This is one of the limitations in the value of customer feedback, both Vana and Flynn say.—
James Doubek,
NPR,
26 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Last month, her government unveiled a legal reform allowing the deportation of foreigners who have been sentenced to at least one year of unconditional imprisonment for serious crimes.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
27 Feb. 2026
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Kwok's imprisonment marks the first time a family member of a Hong Kong activist has been jailed in connection with their relatives' overseas lobbying, marking a new chapter of repression in the once-autonomous financial center.—
Shibani Mahtani,
NPR,
26 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Michelle Parris is the California director at Vera Action, a 501(c)(4) organization harnessing the power of advocacy, lobbying, and political strategy to end mass incarceration, protect immigrants’ rights, restore dignity to people behind bars, and build safe and thriving communities.—
Jose Bernal,
Oc Register,
24 Feb. 2026
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The author argues that San Quentin’s transformation into a rehabilitation center represents a remarkable shift in how society should approach incarceration, given that 95% of incarcerated people are eventually released back into communities.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Between 1963 and 1976, Khamenei was arrested seven times and spent a total of three years in prison before being sentenced to a sort of internal exile in Iranshahr in the far southeastern corner of the country.—
DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE STAFF FROM WIRE REPORTS,
Arkansas Online,
2 Mar. 2026
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Spencer is charged with second-degree murder, which in Arkansas carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison.—
Faith Karimi,
CNN Money,
1 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Confinement.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/confinement. Accessed 3 Mar. 2026.
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