1
as in captivities
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 restrictions
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
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Recent Examples of confinements
Throughout these pages, Hutchinson expresses a deep love of prose, of its grand possibilities and subtle confinements.
—
Emma Alpern, Vulture, 2 Dec. 2025
Emma Alpern, Vulture, 2 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for confinements
Noun
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Business travelers will find this especially frustrating, as even VPNs usually can’t break through these restrictions in the capital.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
12 May 2026
-
An Israeli source told CNN that the idea of a sunset clause has been floated in negotiations – a provision that would allow some restrictions to expire after a set number of years.—
Tal Shalev,
CNN Money,
12 May 2026
Noun
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But here, the acceptance of one’s limitations is less an admission of defeat than a reaffirmation of one’s power to effect change within them.—
Jessica Kiang,
Variety,
15 May 2026
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An embargo like this means you are allowed to tweet your impressions, with some limitations, rather than publish full reviews, the kind that would be scored and thrown up on Rotten Tomatoes, so The Mandalorian and Grogu has no score yet.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
Noun
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Once a technically complicated legal rarity used to challenge improper incarcerations, habeas corpus petitions have become the predominant avenue for immigrants seeking release from detentions that increasingly end only with a deportation order.—
Seth Klamann,
Denver Post,
12 Apr. 2026
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Despite their felony convictions and impending incarcerations, both former Met police career criminals continue to collect their monthly kisses in the mail — $8,850 a month for Cederquist and $6,020 for Butner.—
Howie Carr,
Boston Herald,
4 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Confinements.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/confinements. Accessed 16 May. 2026.
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