as in jailing
to put in or as if in prison
in this society, we try to imprison criminals so that they can't do any more harm
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 imprisoning
For decades, the Islamic Republic has neutered its domestic opposition, imprisoning its critics including former presidents.
—
Tamara Qiblawi, CNN Money, 9 Jan. 2026
Maduro ruled Venezuela's 28 million people as an autocrat, imprisoning his opposition and leaving the economy of an oil rich nation in shambles.
—Scott Pelley, CBS News, 5 Jan. 2026
Further, nobody believes that prosecuting or imprisoning Maduro will save a single American life from a drug overdose.
—Bruce Fein, Baltimore Sun, 4 Jan. 2026
There’s a whole history, actually, of how the Pentagon responded to the epidemic within its ranks, first by imprisoning infected men.
—Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 17 Oct. 2025
The United States began seizing church property and imprisoning polygamist leaders, coercing church president Wilford Woodruff to end official support for polygamy in 1890.
—Konden Smith Hansen, The Conversation, 30 Sep. 2025
Human rights organizations have been ringing the alarm for years on the Saudi government imprisoning human rights advocates, including Waleed Abu al-Khair, who is currently serving a 15-year sentence.
—Jessica Wang, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Sep. 2025
The president specifically thanked El Salvador for accepting and imprisoning deported migrants in a notorious prison, a partnership that caused backlash after a Maryland man was wrongfully sent there.
—Brett Samuels, The Hill, 23 Sep. 2025
What of Daedalus, the architect who created the awful labyrinth imprisoning both the Minotaur and his victims?
—Natalie Zutter
september 2, Literary Hub, 2 Sep. 2025
Tamara Qiblawi, CNN Money, 9 Jan. 2026
Maduro ruled Venezuela's 28 million people as an autocrat, imprisoning his opposition and leaving the economy of an oil rich nation in shambles.
—Scott Pelley, CBS News, 5 Jan. 2026
Further, nobody believes that prosecuting or imprisoning Maduro will save a single American life from a drug overdose.
—Bruce Fein, Baltimore Sun, 4 Jan. 2026
There’s a whole history, actually, of how the Pentagon responded to the epidemic within its ranks, first by imprisoning infected men.
—Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 17 Oct. 2025
The United States began seizing church property and imprisoning polygamist leaders, coercing church president Wilford Woodruff to end official support for polygamy in 1890.
—Konden Smith Hansen, The Conversation, 30 Sep. 2025
Human rights organizations have been ringing the alarm for years on the Saudi government imprisoning human rights advocates, including Waleed Abu al-Khair, who is currently serving a 15-year sentence.
—Jessica Wang, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Sep. 2025
The president specifically thanked El Salvador for accepting and imprisoning deported migrants in a notorious prison, a partnership that caused backlash after a Maryland man was wrongfully sent there.
—Brett Samuels, The Hill, 23 Sep. 2025
What of Daedalus, the architect who created the awful labyrinth imprisoning both the Minotaur and his victims?
—Natalie Zutter
september 2, Literary Hub, 2 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for imprisoning
Verb
-
Maduro clamped down on dissent, jailing hundreds of activists, ordering government forces to fire on protesters and triggering another exodus of migrants.—
Ian James,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Jan. 2026
-
Symbolic political prisoner releases bring hope The Chavismo movement has been accused of jailing political prisoners for decades and holding them in the infamous Helicoide prison, controlled by the Bolivarian National Intelligence Service (SEBIN).—
Flora Charner,
CNN Money,
10 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Falcon founded Lightning in 2019 after studying for a doctorate on deep learning at NYU and interning with Yann LeCun at Facebook.—
Iain Martin,
Forbes.com,
21 Jan. 2026
-
After losing her job as a social worker in 2008, Scott found work as a cruise ship chef before leaving to study at the Culinary Institute of New York and interning at the Food Network.—
Mekishana Pierre,
Entertainment Weekly,
8 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Imprisoning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/imprisoning. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
