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
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Recent Examples of imprisoning
Based on the way the regime is treating you and all these other political activists—imprisoning you all—what does that indicate about the regime?
—
Cora Engelbrecht, New Yorker, 1 Mar. 2026
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
Cora Engelbrecht, New Yorker, 1 Mar. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for imprisoning
Verb
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When Iranians elected a reformist president, Mohammed Khatami, in 1997, Khamenei hamstrung him by jailing cabinet ministers and shuttering friendly newspapers.—
The Week US,
TheWeek,
10 Mar. 2026
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Most county-sheriff offices function much the way police departments do—investigating crimes, making arrests, and jailing people.—
James Verini,
New Yorker,
2 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The governor’s bill would require any state agency charged with incarcerating people to follow the standards outlined in the federal law.—
Emilia Otte,
Hartford Courant,
20 Feb. 2026
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The announcement came as the House Rules Committee was considering resolutions to hold the Clintons in criminal contempt, which could have potentially led to the government imposing penalties and incarcerating them.—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The fifth and sixth installments are loosely connected to this seventh film by the presence of the unusually tenacious twins Chad and Mindy Meeks-Martin (Mason Gooding and Jasmin Savoy Brown), who are inexplicably interning for Sidney’s longtime frenemy, journalist Gale Weathers (Courteney Cox).—
Katie Walsh,
Twin Cities,
3 Mar. 2026
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The fifth and sixth installments are loosely connected to this seventh film by the presence of the unusually tenacious twins Chad and Mindy Meeks-Martin (Mason Gooding and Jasmin Savoy Brown), who are inexplicably interning for Sidney’s longtime frenemy, journalist Gale Weathers (Courteney Cox).—
Katie Walsh,
Boston Herald,
27 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Imprisoning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/imprisoning. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
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