as in jail
a place of confinement for persons held in lawful custody
they ended up in the hoosegow for disorderly conduct
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 hoosegow
Every day at the high security hoosegow holds the possibility of turmoil and violence.
—
Kevin Rennie, Hartford Courant, 9 Aug. 2025
Yuma Territorial Prison State Historic Park Carved from granite cliffs overlooking the Colorado River, Yuma Prison was the Old West’s most notorious hoosegow, garnering a fearsome reputation.
—Roger Naylor, The Arizona Republic, 1 Jan. 2025
In prison, there are Keene’s encounters with a real-life mob boss and a manipulative guard to add tension, and just enough mayhem to remind you that this is no ordinary hoosegow.
—Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2022
Most famously, in 1968 Johnny Cash serenaded state inmates at the max-security Folsom Prison in California, later turning the hoosegow act into a live album titled At Folsom Prison.
—Keri Blakinger, Houston Chronicle, 15 Nov. 2019
Carved from a granite cliff overlooking the Colorado River, this was America’s most notorious 19th century hoosegow.
—Roger Naylor, azcentral, 4 Oct. 2019
And Blankenship has charged that Manchin, who was governor at the time of the mine explosion, conspired with Barack Obama (not a popular figure in West Virginia) to send him to the hoosegow.
—Ed Kilgore, Daily Intelligencer, 20 Mar. 2018
Kevin Rennie, Hartford Courant, 9 Aug. 2025
Yuma Territorial Prison State Historic Park Carved from granite cliffs overlooking the Colorado River, Yuma Prison was the Old West’s most notorious hoosegow, garnering a fearsome reputation.
—Roger Naylor, The Arizona Republic, 1 Jan. 2025
In prison, there are Keene’s encounters with a real-life mob boss and a manipulative guard to add tension, and just enough mayhem to remind you that this is no ordinary hoosegow.
—Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2022
Most famously, in 1968 Johnny Cash serenaded state inmates at the max-security Folsom Prison in California, later turning the hoosegow act into a live album titled At Folsom Prison.
—Keri Blakinger, Houston Chronicle, 15 Nov. 2019
Carved from a granite cliff overlooking the Colorado River, this was America’s most notorious 19th century hoosegow.
—Roger Naylor, azcentral, 4 Oct. 2019
And Blankenship has charged that Manchin, who was governor at the time of the mine explosion, conspired with Barack Obama (not a popular figure in West Virginia) to send him to the hoosegow.
—Ed Kilgore, Daily Intelligencer, 20 Mar. 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hoosegow
Noun
-
North Little Rock police officer Tommy Norman, whose social media presence attracted millions of followers before his Saturday arrest on a domestic battery count, was released from jail Monday morning after posting a $350 bond, court records showed.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
15 Sep. 2025
-
Tahoe is obviously getting more aggressive with icon-shape enforcement, up to and including automatically manipulating them and sentencing them to icon jail.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
15 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Scott was convicted of murder and sent to prison.—
Tony Saavedra,
Oc Register,
17 Sep. 2025
-
Barr was attorney general when Epstein was found dead in his prison cell in 2019, a death that was later deemed a suicide.—
Lauren Green,
The Washington Examiner,
17 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Arcángela and Serafina remain in the women’s penitentiary, continuing to operate illicit businesses and accumulating wealth, but without hope of freedom.—
Isabella Wandermurem,
Time,
10 Sep. 2025
-
Prisoners look out of their cell at maximum security penitentiary CECOT (Center for the Compulsory Housing of Terrorism) on April 4 in Tecoluca, San Vicente, El Salvador.—
Dan Gooding,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hoosegow.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hoosegow. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share