COOLER Synonyms: 51 Similar and Opposite Words

cooler

noun

ˈkü-lər

Definition of cooler

as in penitentiary

a place of confinement for persons held in lawful custody plea-bargained to avoid spending time in the cooler

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

outside

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 cooler Tinted windows are another possibility and will help keep the car cooler, but Florida limits how much darkening is allowed. — Lois K. Solomon, Sun Sentinel, 22 Aug. 2026 The Mexican navy searched a vast area of the Pacific Ocean by sea and air, eventually finding the two men floating in a large fishing cooler about 150 miles off the coast of Chiapas, a southern state in Mexico that borders Guatemala. — Diego Mendoza, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026 Somehow this abstract understanding exists alongside, or by means of, the objects in the waiting room—a paper cup from the water cooler, or a copy of People magazine. — Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 21 Aug. 2026 Shredded cheese in a reach-in cooler measured 55 to 57 degrees. — Sacbee.com, 21 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for cooler

Recent Examples of Synonyms for cooler

Noun

Now locked up in a state penitentiary near San Diego on unrelated charges, Knight hasn't changed his tune.

— Sasha Pezenik, ABC News, 17 Aug. 2026
One of her clients has gone MIA from the state penitentiary – but how can a man go missing in prison?

— Denise Petski, Deadline, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of penitentiary

Noun

Hickey now owes $33,500 in fines and restitution plus 15 days in jail.

— Kris Millgate, Outdoor Life, 21 Aug. 2026
The federal lawsuit is the latest in a series of legal filings brought by both former employees and jail residents that have accused Mecklenburg Sheriff Garry McFadden of poor leadership, inadequate inmate care and fostering a toxic workplace.

— Amber Gaudet Updated August 20, Charlotte Observer, 20 Aug. 2026