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
Meanwhile, the Iranian regime’s very recent and brutal crackdown on its own people — imprisoning and killing thousands of citizens for dissent — has not been met with the same outrage by these voices.
—
Chicago Tribune, 15 Apr. 2026
Noem seemed to relish cruelty, and treated her job like a costume party, constantly mugging for cameras with guns and faux toughness as if the dismantling of lives and imprisoning even children was a game.
—Los Angeles Times, 5 Apr. 2026
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
Chicago Tribune, 15 Apr. 2026
Noem seemed to relish cruelty, and treated her job like a costume party, constantly mugging for cameras with guns and faux toughness as if the dismantling of lives and imprisoning even children was a game.
—Los Angeles Times, 5 Apr. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for imprisoning
Verb
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Diversion program 8 years old California’s mental health diversion program was enacted in 2018 under the argument that jailing the mentally ill only makes their condition worse and does not prevent them from committing more crimes upon their release.—
Tony Saavedra,
Oc Register,
12 Apr. 2026
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No such rules appear to exist for Saudi Arabia, whose leaders have been accused of arbitrarily arresting, jailing and torturing people who speak out against the government.—
Lia Russell,
Sacbee.com,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Officials reinforced stay-at-home orders by erecting fences around some apartment buildings, essentially incarcerating occupants.—
Michael Schuman,
The Atlantic,
1 Apr. 2026
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In 1942, as the government was forcibly relocating and incarcerating Japanese Americans on the West Coast, a nativist group hoped to revoke the citizenship of Japanese Americans born in the United States.—
Maureen Groppe,
USA Today,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Those formative years interning at the DA’s office sent her on a journey into Big Law, then multimillion-dollar legal entrepreneurship.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
5 Apr. 2026
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Arellano joined the brand after interning and working his way into a full-time role, learning production before moving into design.—
J.M. Banks
March 21,
Kansas City Star,
21 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Imprisoning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/imprisoning. Accessed 25 Apr. 2026.
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