as in care
responsibility for the safety and well-being of someone or something
the government department having custody of all official state gifts
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 custody
The festival’s Critics’ Award went to Love Me Tender, which sees Vicky Krieps play a lawyer who fights her ex-husband for custody of their son after starting a new relationship.
—
Diana Lodderhose, Deadline, 4 Nov. 2025
Sami Hamdi was taken into custody by federal agents at San Francisco International Airport following his arrival in the United States on a speaking tour, according to The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR).
—Billal Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2025
Brown County declined to enforce the warrant and federal agents almost immediately took custody of the defendant afterwards on the immigration charges, Burnett said.
—David Clarey, jsonline.com, 4 Nov. 2025
Police deployed a Taser, and he was taken into custody.
—Kristina Davis, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for custody
Diana Lodderhose, Deadline, 4 Nov. 2025
Sami Hamdi was taken into custody by federal agents at San Francisco International Airport following his arrival in the United States on a speaking tour, according to The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR).
—Billal Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2025
Brown County declined to enforce the warrant and federal agents almost immediately took custody of the defendant afterwards on the immigration charges, Burnett said.
—David Clarey, jsonline.com, 4 Nov. 2025
Police deployed a Taser, and he was taken into custody.
—Kristina Davis, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for custody
Recent Examples of Synonyms for custody
Noun
-
Tabor and Sheriff Jay Cantrell both said the new quarantine space, along with other spaces being added for medical care, the intake and release of detainees, and court proceedings may allow the sheriff's office to open some areas to new programming.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
3 Nov. 2025
-
The family is reflecting on their experience at Knollwood in the facility-care system.—
Marisa Peñaloza,
NPR,
2 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Also, consider sharing a copy of temporary guardianship forms with your children’s schools.—
Alyssa N. Salcedo,
jsonline.com,
27 Oct. 2025
-
Under the guise of helping children whose parents are detained or deported, California’s AB 495 opens the floodgates to let almost any adult assume guardianship of a minor child—as long as that adult fills out an affidavit claiming to be a relative.—
Martha McHardy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Regular audits, transparent reporting and strong custodianship build long-term investor confidence.—
Charles Morey,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The scale of the Republican Party's triumph in 2024—taking the White House, flipping the Senate and maintaining control of the House—has sparked soul-searching within the Democratic Party over what went wrong, how to rebuild, and party leadership and direction.—
Mandy Taheri,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
-
The Philippines is one of Asia’s most flood-prone countries but this year it has also been mired in a massive corruption scandal involving flood control projects that have brought thousands of protesters out onto the streets.—
Helen Regan,
CNN Money,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Protect patio cushions When out of season, patio cushions can be stored in storage bags for safekeeping until next spring and summer.—
Michelle Mastro,
Architectural Digest,
23 Oct. 2025
-
The prosecutor will ultimately decide whether the parents will be charged with improper storage and safekeeping of firearms or other potential crimes, Cappetto noted.—
Lauren Mascarenhas,
CNN Money,
9 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Custody.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/custody. Accessed 6 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share